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BT  THK  AUTHOR    OP 

"JESUS  UPON  EARTH." 


NEW-YORK: 
ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH,  770  BROADWAY, 
Corner   of   Ninth   Street.  * 

1865. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1S63,  by 

ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 

Southern  District  of  New- York. 


This  Work,  like  a  preceding  one,  is 
Memorial  of  one  who  has  gone  before;  for, 
since  it  was  written,  the  child  who  so  eager- 
ly listened  to  the  reading  of  each  chapter, 
has  been  taken  to  sing  in  heavenly  num- 
bers, and  to  be  taught  by  saints  and  angels. 

To    Happy  Households,  now    blest   with 

Ed  voices  of  children,  this  little  Volum 
srfully  sent. 


CONTENTS. 

lei 

Chapter                                                                       •  Paos 

I.  Introduction, 9 

II.  About  God, 15 

III.  The  Creation, 19 

IV.  Love, 23 

V.  Goodness, 28 

YI.  The  Fall, 33 

VII.  Broken  Law, 38 

VIII.  A  Saving  Plan, 43 

IX.  The  Great  Sacrifice, 48 

X.  Another  Gift,  .         .         .  .         .53 

XI.  A  Guide,     ........  58 

XII.  None  are  Good, 62 

XIIL  A  Clean  Heart, 66 

XIV.  How  to  have  a  Clean  Heart,   .        .        .  71 

XV.  Faith, 76 

XVI.  Ready  to  Forgive,  .        ...         .        .81 

XVII.  A  Stranger, 85 

XVIII.  Everlasting  Food,          .....  90 

XIX.  The  Good  Shepherd, 94 

XX.  The  Spirit, 99 

XXL- Fruits  of  the  Spirit, 103 

XXII.  Love  to  God, 107 

XXIII.  Prayer, 112 

XXIV.  Prayer, 117 

XXV.  How  to  Pray, 122 

XXVI.  Idolatry, 127 

XXVII.  Swearing,           .         .         .         .         .         .  132 

XXVIII.  The  Sabbath,        .        ■ 13G 

XXIX.  Duties  to  Parents, 140 


CONTENTS. 

Chatter  Pioi 

XXX.  Love  to  All, 145 

XXXI.  False  Witness, 149 

XXXII.  Truth, 154 

XXXIII.  The  Tongue, 158 

XXXIV.  The  Heart, 168 

XXXV.  Anger, .167 

XXXVI.  How  to  Forgive,        .        .        .  '      .        .171 

XXXVII.  Peace, .  176 

XXXVIII.  Love, 180 

XXXIX.  Kindness, 185 

XL.  Benevolence, 190 

XLI.  The  Golden  Rule, 195 

XLII.  Conscience, 199 

XLIII.  Hearers  and  Doers,        ....  204 

XLIV.  Wisdom,  . 208 

XLV.  Industry, 213 

XLVI.  Comfort,  . 218 

XLVII.  Life, 223 

XLVni.  Death, 228 

XLIX.  Resurrection, 233 

L.  Hell,         .        .  ' 237 

LI.  Heaven, • .  242 

LII.  Abide  in  Him, 247 


"IN   THE   MORNING   SOW   THY   SEED." 

This  little  book  is  an  attempt  to  simplify  and  illus- 
trate the  great  truths  which  constitute  the  broad  and 
deep  foundations  of  our  evangelical  faith. 

If  it  can  quietly  enter  the  Sabbath-school,  take  a 
place  in  the  children's  home  library,  be  read  by  little 
ones  around  the  nursery-fire,  or  suggest  something  to 
those  who  desire  to  feed  hungry  minds,  its  modest 
mission  will  have  been  accomplished. 

Should  it  ever  fall  under  the  eye  of  a  scholar,  its 
simple  theology,  or  childlike  illustrations,  may  excite  a 
smile;  but  we  have  passed  the  days  of  cold  philoso- 
phy, which  sneered  at  the  simplicity  of  the  Gospel,  and 
this  is  the  age  which  takes  care  of  the  children. 

Perhaps,  by  this  plan  of  sowing  precious  seed  in  the 
early  morning,  we. may  help  to  conquer  some  of  the 
practical  infidelity  of  life,  if  He  who  sends  the  genial 
sunshine  of  his  love,  and  the  dew  of  divine  grace,  will 
but  bless  our  efforts  to  foster  the  germs  of  religious 
faith  which  He  has  implanted  in  every  heart. 


INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER  L 

"it  is  good  'for  us  to  be  here." 

Theee  is  a  little  room  built  m  a 
grassy  yard,  which,  if  you  could  look 
in  some  morninp;  after  all  the  Sabbath 
bells  have  been  ringing,  you  would  think 
was  a  very  happy  place.  Seated  there 
are  little  boys  and  girls  looking  so 
happy  and  pleased  that  the  room  seems 
bright  with  sunshine. 

Nor  is  it  silent  there — the  voices  of 
these  children  are  like  cheerful  music, 
when  with  every  eye  fixed  on  their 
teacher,  they  all  together  repeat  beauti- 
ful verses  from  the  Bible.  And  we 
have  music  too,  for  they  all  sing;  and 
as  I  stand  before  them  and  hear  the 
sweet  voices,  I  rejoice  to  know  that  the 


10  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

great  and  wise  Being  who  made  these 
lips  and  hearts,  is  listening  to  them; 
that  the  Saviour,  who  took  in  His  arms 
just  such  children  as  these,  loves  this 
precious  company  as  well  as  He  did 
those  little  ones  that  He  blessed  so 
long   ago. 

And  while  they  sing,  I  look  from  one 
bench  to  another,  and  sometimes  seem 
to  see  two  or  three  young  faces  that 
are  not  really  there.  They  used  to  sing 
with  us,  and  though  I  seem  to  see 
them,  it  is  only  in  my  memory,  for 
their  hands  are  folded,  and  their  lips 
are  stiff  and  cold.  Only  last  week  as 
I  listened,  the  tears  came  for  a  mo- 
ment ;  but  then  loudly  sang  the  child- 
ren: " Glory,  glory ;  hallelujah!  forever, 
evermore !"  Yes,  that  is  so.  While  this 
little  band  of  scholars  sing  only  one 
hour  a  week,  those  who  are  gone  sing 
"  Glory,"  forever  and  ever.  Here  there 
is  one  little  room  full  of  singers;  there 
thousands  and  thousands  join  till  all 
heaven  is  filled  with  the  happy  chorus. 


FEARS.  11 

But  in  the  midst  of  that  .celestial 
music,  Jesus  hears  the  songs  of  our 
little  company;  we  know  He  loves  this 
little  school,  for  He  has  been  here  and 
chosen  some  to  be  His  own.  Perhaps 
He  will  come  again  —  whom  will  He 
take  next  ?  Then  let  us  go  on  singing 
and  learning  of  Him,  that  if  He  should 
choose  any  of  us,  we  may  know  how 
to  join  in  those  songs  that  never  will 
cease. 

But  some  of  these  children  will  live 
to  be  men  and  women,  and  for  them  I 
fear  more  than  if  I  thought  Jesus 
would"  come  and  take  them  all  away. 
Will  these  hands  that  keep  time  to 
Sabbath  songs,  ever  do  wicked  work, 
be  lifted  in  passion,  or  busy  in  sin? 
Will  these  red  lips  now  saying  blessed 
words,  ever  learn  to  use  wicked  lan- 
guage or  speak  sinful  thoughts?  Will 
these  little  pattering  feet  that  come  so 
gladly  to  our  infant  school,  ever  learn 
to  walk  in  the  way  of  the  wicked?  I 
pray  God  that  it  may  not  be  so,  and  if 


12  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK.     - 

tliese  clear  cliildren  will  but  remember 
and  obey  all  they  learn  in  the  Sabbath- 
school,  they  will  become  good  and  use- 
ful and  happy. 

But  many  children  live  in  the  country 
far  away  from  any  Sunday-school ;  some 
are  sick,  or  lame,  and  can  not  walk. 
Many  of  those  who  do  go  to  Sunday- 
school  love  to  read  at  home:  for  all  of 
these  this  little  book  is  intended. 

Suppose  you  were  starting  on  a  jour- 
ney to  reach  some  distant  land,  and 
you  were  obliged  to  walk  mile  after 
mile  on  a  long,  tiresome  road  you  had 
never  travelled  before.  Perhaps  when 
you  were  starting,  some  kind  friend 
would  tell  you  of  one  true  guide,  di- 
recting you  the  best  way  to  go,  and 
that  you  might  know  how  you  pro- 
gressed, by  the  white  stones  placed  at 
the  end  of  every  mile  along  the  way. 

Dear  children,  you  are  every  one  do- 
ing, this.  Life  is  the  journey  which  we 
all  must  take.  You  are  just  starting: 
let   a   loving  friend  tell    you  there    is 


A  JOURNEY.  13 

one  guide  which  will  show  you  the 
right  path.  He  who  made  us,  and  who 
dwells  in  that  country  which  we  all 
hope  to  reach,  has  given  us  a  true 
guide — the   Bible. 

This  journey  of  ours  is  a  long  road; 
sometimes  it  is  so  pleasant  that  flowers 
seem  to  grow  in  the  path  and  sunlight 
to  shine  on  our  way;  but  sometimes 
trouble  and  sorrow  make  it  seem  dark 
as  night,  and  evil  passions  and  wicked 
thoughts  beset  us,  as  thorns  would  tear 
our  feet  if  we  walked  in  a  tangled 
path  overgrown  with  briers.  But  fol- 
low the  Bible,  and  rt  will  guide  you 
where  all  is  safety  and  peace.  In  the 
long  way,  you  will  find  many  weary 
places,  and  sometimes  hardly  know  it 
you  are  really  getting  forward  at  all. 
Then  let  these  little  chapters  be  the 
mile-stones  on  your  path,  one  hour  in 
every  week  read  a  chapter,  and  we  will 
travel  together  through  the  Sabbath 
days  of  one  year.  If  we  all  follow 
this  true  guide,  and  remember  what  is 
2 


14  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

written  on  all  these  little  mile-stones, 
we  shall  at  last  finish  our  journey,  and 
all  meet  with  those  dear  ones  that 
have  gone  before  us,  and  we  will  then 
all  together  sing : 

"Glory,  Hallelujah! 
For  ever,  evermore  i" 


CHAPTER  II. 

"the  lord,  he  is  god  in  heaven  above." 

A  few  evenings  ago  several  children 
came  to  see  me,  and  brought  with  thern 
a  very  little  girl  whose  home  is  far 
away  in  a  distant  city.  The  children 
admired  her  pretty  curls,  and  bright 
eyes,  and.  her  sweet  way  of  talking. 

After  a  while  one  of  them  ashed,  her 
who  made  her.  She  said  she  did  not 
know..  They  were  all  surprised  at  this, 
and  told  her  that  it  was  God,  who 
lived  in  heaven.  She  did  not  seem  to 
understand  it  at  all,  and  when  we 
showed  her  the  bright  stars  twinkling 
in  -the  sky,  and  told  her  that  the  God 
who  made  her,  made  the  stars  also, 
and  that  He  now  watches  over  us,  her 


16  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

eyes  were  bright  with  wonder,  and  she 
went  on  repeating  over  and  over: 

"  Dod  made  Lida,  and  Dod  made 
stars." 

Lida  was  a  rich  child,  and  wore  beau- 
tiful clothes;  but  as  I  looked  at  her, 
and  thought  that  no  one  had  ever 
taught  her  little  lips  to  speak  God's 
name,  I  could  not  help  saying,  Poor 
Lida !  Not  many  children  in  this  land 
grow  to  be  even  as  old  as  she  is,  with- 
out learning  something  about  God; 
and  yet  there  are  some  things  about 
this  Great  Being  which  we  never  can 
understand  until  we  go  to  heaven, 
where  "  we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is," 
where  we  shall  know  and  understand 
all  the  wonderful  things  which  often 
perplex  us   here. 

God,  who  created  all  things  is  the 
Lord  and  Euler  of  all.  He  dwells  in 
heaven,  and  yet  is  everywhere,  and  can 
see  every  thing  at  the  same  time.  He 
had  no  beginning,  He  has  lived  and 
will    live  forever    and   ever.      We   can 


CAN  YOU  SEE  GOD?  17 

not  understand  how  this  is,  and  child- 
ren are  often  perplexed,  and  ask  ques- 
tions which  no  one  could  answer. 

As  you  walk  out  in  a  winter  morn- 
ing, the  strong  wind  blows  your  cloak, 
and  drives  the  snow  into  your  face. 
Can  you  see  the  wind  ?  In  a  warm 
summer  day,  you  wander  about  until 
you  find  a  cool  spot  where  you  may 
rest  and  breathe  the  refreshing  air  sweet 
with  the  perfume  of  the  flowers.  Can 
you  see  the  air?  Can  you  see  the  scent 
of  the  roses  that  has  sweetened  the 
atmosphere  ?  No !  you  see  the  leaves 
moving,  as  the  soft  breeze  .blows  them 
about,  but* you  can  not  see  the  wind 
itself.  We  can  not  see  God  except  as 
we  behold  Him  in  all  His  works. 

When  evening  comes,  and  darkness 
falls  upon  the  earth,  go  out  and  lool^ 
at  the  sky.  Look  as  far  as  eye  can 
see,  and  everywhere  above  the  earth, 
glittering  like  diamonds,  are  the  stars. 
Could  you  count  them  ?  Some  are 
large,  and  shine  brightly  and  steadily; 
2* 


18  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

others  are  in  clusters,  and  some  so  far 
away,  and  so  close  together,  that  they 
look  almost  like  a  silver  cloud. 

But  there  was  a  time,  long,  long  ago, 
when  there  was  nothing  in  existence 
but  God.  One  God,  and  yet  three  pei> 
sons  in  one,  Father,  Son,  arid  Holy 
Ghost.  Nothing  lived  hut  this  great 
:ZW-une,  or  three  in  one,  God;  no  an- 
gels, no  worlds,  no  sun,  no  moon,  no 
stars.  Even  then,  this  great  and  wise 
God  had  a  plan  of  all  the  worlds  He 
would  create,  and  of  some  wonderful 
things  upon  this  little  earth  which 
should  bring  praise  and  glory  upon 
His  name  for  ever  and  ever. 


CHAPTER  III. 


AND    IT    STOOD    FAST. 


Nothing-  existed  but  God — vast,  great, 
alone — until  "  by  His  power  the  heavens 
were  made,  and  at  His  breath  the  an- 
gels were  created."  We  can  hardly 
imagine  such  power  that  innumerable 
worlds  and  hosts  of  angels  should 
come  into   being   at   His   command. 

Among  these  countless  worlds  was 
our  little  earth.  Here,  all  was  dark- 
ness and  confusion,  till  He  said,  "  Let 
there  be  light,"  and  light  was.  At  His 
voice  the  waters  retreated  from  the 
land,  and  went  to  their  own  place; 
the  dry  land  was  covered  with  green 
grass,    and    tall    trees    of   many  kinds, 


20  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

which  were  loaded  with,  delicious  fruits 
hanging  in  rich  plenty  from  the  grace- 
ful boughs. 

At  His  word  the  sun  was  created,  to 
give  its  light  and  warmth  by  day,  and 
the  moon  was  made  to  give  its  gentle 
light  to  rule  the  night.  "When  evening 
came,  a  mist  went  up  from  the  earth, 
which  fell  in  gentle  dews  upon  the 
grass  and  flowers  and  trees.  Rivers 
clear  as  silver  flowed  gently  through 
the  fields  and  meadows. 

And  who  was  there  ^ to  enjoy  this 
beautiful  earth?  God  made  the  fish 
in  the  sea,  the  birds  in  the  air,  and  all 
the  creatures  upon  the  earth.  He  look- 
ed and  saw  that  it  was  good;  and  then, 
the  crowning  glory  of  His  creation,  He 
made  two  human  beings  in  His  own 
image,  possessing  souls  that  should  last 
forever.  In  a  world  beautiful  and  pure 
enough  to  be  the  home  of  angels,  He 
placed  this  man  and  woman.  This 
state  and  place  of  perfect  happiness'  we 
call  Paradise. 


PARADISE.  21 

Here  they  had  dominion  over  every 
living  thing,  and  here  every  want  was 
supplied.  If  they  were  hungry,  the 
most  delicious  food  huno*  within  their 
reach;  if  they  were  thirsty,  the  pure 
sparkling  water  flowed  fresh  at  their 
feet.  Their  occupation  was  to  take  care 
of  this  garden,  and  have  power  over  all 
the  animals. 

When  weary  of  delight  —  for  they 
had  neither  annoying  care  nor  hard 
labor — the  grassy  banks  afforded  them 
rest;  and  when  they  closed  their  eyes 
to  shut  out  excess  of  joy,  the  sweet  un- 
disturbed sleep  of  innocence  rested  upon 
them.  When  the  light  of  (each  fresh 
new  morning  broke  upon  Eden,  their 
waking  was  welcomed  by  the  glad  songs 
of  birds  like  choirs  of  angels,  and  they 
arose  to  mark  the  happy  hours  as  they 
passed,  by  opening  flowers  that  yielded 
their  sweet  odors,  as  a  full  heart  sends 
up  its  quiet  thankfulness  to  heaven. 

Was  not  this  a  happy  way  to  live? 
No  sorrow,  no  pain,  nothing  to  trouble 


22  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

thein,  and  there  was  but  one  command 
for  them  to  obey.  In  the  garden  was 
one  tree,  the  fruit  of  which  they  were 
forbidden  to  taste,  but  in  every  thing 
else  they  were  free  to  do  exactly  as 
they  wished. 

Was  not  that  an  easy  condition,  and 
a  blessed  lot  i 

Living  in  God's  smile,  fed  by  His 
hand,  must  not  their  hearts  have  been 
full  of  love  to  Him,  and  wonder  at  His 
wisdom  and  goodness? 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Childbed,  can  you  tell  what  God  is  ? 
I  once  asked  an  infant  class  this  ques- 
tion, when  several  answered  at  once: 
"Yes/ 1  know.  God  is  a  spirit."  That 
is  true ;  but  one  quiet,  blue-eyed "  girl 
looked  timidly  at  me,  and  then  said: 
"  God  is  love." 

Is  not  that  a  good  description  of 
God?  The  dear  little  girl  gave  a  sweet 
answer,  so  we  took  that  verse  for  our 
lesson,  and  I  am  sure  His  loving  ear 
heard  the  words  when  they  all  repeat- 
ed with  one  voice  the  precious  verse. 
Every  morning  after  we  sing  a  hymn, 
we  take  a  motto  or  verse  from  the 
Bible  for  the  lesson  of  the  day  —  and 


24  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

all  repeat  in  concert  over  and  over 
until  they  know  it  perfectly.  The 
Bible  is  full  of  beautiful  and  true 
verses,  but  there  could  not  be  one 
more  sweet  and  dear  to  us  all  than 
the  three  words:  "God  is  love." 

He  it  is  who  placed  us  in  these 
homes  of  comfort,  who  keeps  us  in 
peace  and  safety,  who  spares  the  lives 
of  those  we  love,  and  who  gives  us  all 
that  we  have  to  make  us  happy.  "Was 
it  not  His  loving  hand  that  made  all 
the  beautiful  world,  carpeted  the  hills 
and  valleys  with  velvet  grass,  made  the 
flowers  to  bloom  and  give  their  sweet 
perfume  to  the  air,  made  the  spreading 
trees  with  their  dense  shade,  and  the 
flowing  water  and  the  running  brooks? 

He  makes  the  sun  to  rise  and  give 
us  its  light  and  warmth ;  and  when  we 
are  weary  with  the  cares  and  duties 
and  pleasures  of  the  day,  He  brings 
the  cool  and  still  night  for  rest.  He 
sends  sleep  to  the  tired  eyelids;  and 
while   our    unconscious   heads    lie    still 


THE  MOTHER  AND  HER  BOY.  25 

through  the  hours  of  darkness,  He  who 
"never  slumbers  nor  sleeps"  keeps 
watch  over  every  pillow.  It  makes  no 
difference  to  Him  whether  it  is  a  king 
or  a  beggar,  whether  it  is  a  petted 
child  whose  downy  bed  as  covered  with 
silken  comforts  and  curtained  with  lace, 
or  a  pale  sorrowful  face  pinched  with 
want  and  a  hand  that  has  labored  hard 
all  day,  the  same  God  of  love  sends 
sweet  refreshing  sleep. 

He  has  done  so  many  great  things 
for  us,  that  we  are  apt  to  forget  our 
common  blessings.  We  sometimes  re- 
member to  thank  Him  for  keeping  us 
from  harm,  for  saving  our  lives;  but 
what  child  when  he  is  thirsty,  and  en- 
joys a  drink  of  cool  refreshing  water, 
remembers  that  it  is  His  love  which 
supplies  it?  Did  you  ever  think  how 
dreadful  it  would  be  to  die  of  thirst  ? 

Many,  many  years  ago,  a  woman  and 
her  son  were  travelling  across  a  dry, 
barren  wilderness.  Early  in  the  morn- 
ing they  rose  up,  and  the  father  of  the 


26  ONE  HOUR  A    WEEK. 

boy  put  a  bottle  of  water  and  some 
bread  upon  the  mother's  shoulder,  and 
bade  them  farewell.  They  started,  and 
hour  after  hour  walked  on  their  weary 
way.  The  sun  rose  higher  and  hotter, 
and  at  last  the  little  boy's  feet  were 
tired,  and  he  wanted  to  rest.  But 
hardest  of  all,  the  dry,  hot  wind  of  the 
desert  had  parched  his  throat  and  lips, 
the  water  in  the  bottle  was  gone,  and 
he  longed  for  a  cool  fresh  drink.  His 
mother  tried  to  encourage  him,  but 
alas !  she  had  no  water  to  give  him, 
and  at  last  he  cried  in  an  agony  of 
thirst.  It  almost  broke  his  mother's 
heart,  and  she  laid  him  down  under 
one  of  the  few  stunted  trees  or  shrubs 
that  grew  there,  and  then  she  went  off 
a  little  way,  for  she  could  not  bear  to 
see  her  darling  boy  dying  there  before 
her  eyes.  Alone  in  the  dreary  wilder- 
ness, with  her  suffering  child,  what 
could   she   do ! 

One  eye   beheld  her   distress   as   she 
wept    bitter    tears    of    sorrow.      "While 


IN  THE    WILDERNESS.  27 

she  cried  to  Him,  an  angel  stood  be- 
side her  and  said  that  "  God  had  heard 
the  voice  of  the  lad."  She  looked,  and 
there  in  the  dry  sands  at  her  side,  was 
a  well  of  water.  Can  you  not  think 
how  eagerly  she  took  the  famished  hoy 
in  her  arms,  Lathed  his  throbbing  head, 
and  wet  his  parched  lips;  and  as  he 
drank  the  sweet,  cool  water,  and  heard 
the  dripping  sound  while  his  mother 
filled  the  empty  bottle,  whether  he  ex- 
pressed it  in  words  or  not,  do  you  not 
think  he  felt  that  "God  is  love"? 


CHAPTER  V. 

"the  earth  is  full  of  the  goodness  of  the  lord." 

Suppose  a  group  of  merry  children 
were  sitting  around  the  cheerful  fire, 
while  the  snow  is  on  the  ground,  and 
the  mother  of  one  of  them  brings  in  a 
basket  of  fine,  red-cheeked  ajjples.  Per- 
haps some  thoughtful  one  would  thank 
her  and  say  it  was  very  kind  to  think 
of  their  pleasure,  and  would  love  her 
more  for  all  such  kindnesses. 

But  would  any  of  them  as  they  en- 
joyed the  delicious  fruit,  remember  how 
the  apple-trees  looked  in  spring-time, 
covered  with  their  pink  and  white 
blossoms  and  their  tender  green  leaves? 
Would  they  think  who  sent  the  gentle 
breeze,  that  carried  away  the  leaves  of 


ABUNDANT  GOODNESS.  29 

bloom,  leaving  the  little  germ  on  all 
the  boughs  ?  Who  sent  the  sunshine 
day  after  day,  and  the  gentle  showers, 
and  the  summer  dew?  And  who  in 
the  golden  days  of  autumn  made  the 
large,  round  fruit,  hang  ripe  on  its 
stem? 

God  might,  when  He  made  this  world, 
have  made  but  one  kind  of  food  if  He 
chose.  It  would  have  been  enough  to 
keep  us  from  starving,  if  the  broad  fields 
had  been  all  filled  with  grain,  and  we 
lived  on,  bread  alone.  It  was  His  good- 
ness to  us  that  planted  the  grape-vines 
on  the  sunny  hills,  that  loaded  the  trees 
with  their  precious  fruit,  that  put  on 
the  peach  its  golden  fur,  and  polished 
the  pear  with  smooth,  beautiful  skin, 
that  made  every  climate  and  every  land 
produce  delights  for  the  eye  and  the 
taste.  Then  how  many  creatures  He 
has  made  to  be  useful  to  man,  to  labor 
for  him  or  to  furnish  food  or  clothing. 
Could  any  one  but  God  have  done  this  ? 


SO  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

Are  not  all  His  works  wonderful   and 

strange  ? 

Did  you  ever  notice  the  small,  black 
seeds  in  an  apple  ?  Did  you  ever  think 
that  in  that  little  seed  God  had  placed 
the  germ  of  a  tree  ?  It  takes  a  long 
time  for  it  to  grow  and  bear  fruit ;  but 
at  last  it  becomes  a  large  tree,  and 
the  little  birds  build  their  nests  in  its 
branches,  and  up  on  the  topmost  boughs 
they  sit  and  sing  as  if  they  were  thank- 
ing their  Creator  for  their  happy  ex- 
istence. 

It  seems  strange  to  us,  that  with  all 
this  world  full  of  people,  the  sun,  moon 
and  stars  to  watch  and  take  care  of, 
God  can  notice  every  little  bird.  But 
He  says  not  even  a  sparrow,  one  of  the 
smallest  of  birds,  falls  to  the  ground  with- 
out His  notice.  Who  taught  the  little 
birds  to  sing,  and  where  to  look  for 
their  food,  and  how  when  it  is  evening 
to  tuck  their  heads  under  their  soft 
wing  and  sleep  in  their  own  little 
feather-beds?       How     do     they    know, 


ELIJAH  FEB.  31 

when  the  frost  comes  and  the  nights 
grow  cold,  that  they  must  fly  far  away 
to  a  warm  land,  where  the  roses  bloom 
through  all  the  year  ?  And  when  spring 
returns  to  us  with  mild  air  and  leafy 
trees,  does  He  not  direct  their  flying 
wings  back  to  their  summer  home  \ 

Long,  long  ago  God  once  made  use 
of  some  birds  as  his  messengers.  There 
was  a  good  man,  one  of  the  prophets, 
who  loved  God,  and  could  not  stay 
among  the  wicked  people  who  wor- 
shiped idols.  God  told  him  to  go  and 
stay  by  a  certain  brook,  and  that  He 
would  feed  him  there.  If  Elijah  had 
not  been  a  good  man,  he  would  have 
looked  around  him,  at  the  brook  flow- 
ing at  his  feet,  and  the  wild,  rugged 
rocks  close  by,  and  felt  that  in  that 
barren  place  he  would  starve  to  death 
alone. 

There  was  a  famine  in  the  land  at 
that  time,  but  he  believed  God  would 
take  care  of  him;  and  so  He  did,  for 
in  the  morning  two  ravens  came  bring- 


32  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

ing  "bread  and  meat  to  him,  and  again 
in  the  evening,  and  did  so  every  day 
until  the  little  brook  had  dried  up  and 
God  told  hhn  to  go  to  another  place. 

Eavens  are  not  usually  gentle  birds, 
but  are  strong  and  wild;  but  then, 
they  were  working  for  God,  and  in 
obedience  to  Him  brought  the  food 
and  gave  it  to  Elijah.  As  they  laid 
the  precious  morsels  on  the  rock  before 
him,  do  you  not  suppose  he  thanked 
God  for  sending  it?  Then  when  we 
have  much  more  than  birds  could  bring 
us,  ought  not  our  hearts  to  be  full  of 
love  for  the  blessings  of  every  day  and 
hour? 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"by  one  man,  sin  entered  into  the  world." 

Do  you  remember  there  was  one  com- 
mand which  Aclam  and  Eve  were  to 
obey  in  the  garden  of  Eden?  Only 
one;  but  God  said,  if  they  ate  of  the 
fruit  of  that  one  forbidden  tree,  they 
should  surely  die. 

We  do  not  know  how  long  a  time 
they  lived  there  in  perfect  hapj)iness ; 
but  they  did  eat  of  that  fruit,  and  then 
were  filled  with  fear,  and  tried  to  hide 
from  the  presence  of  God  Vain  at- 
tempt !  for  there  never  has  been  a  sin 
committed  from  that  hour  until  now, 
that  God  did  not  watch  and  see. 

He  called  to  Adam,  and  asked  what 
he  had   done.      Not  that   He   did  not 


34  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

know,  but  He  wished  to  see  what  an- 
swer the  man  could  make.  Now,  notice, 
Adam  in  the  beginning  did,  as  the 
wicked  always  have  done  ever  since; 
tried  to  put  off  the  blame  on  some  one 
else,  for  meanness  and  cowardice  began 
as  soon  as  man  began  to  sin.  His  re- 
ply to  God  was:  "The  woman  whom 
thou  gavest  to  be  with  me,  she  gave 
me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did  eat." 

Then  the  Lord  asked  the  woman,  and 
she  in  turn,  tried  to  blame  the  serpent 
who  by  a  lie  had  told  her  that  they 
would  not  die.  Thus  you  see,  by  one 
♦  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
there  in  that  beautiful  garden  where 
human  life  commenced  in  peace  and 
purity,  even   there   sin   began. 

First,  Adam  and  Eve  secretly  wished 
they  might  taste;  for  if  they  had  not 
thought  of  disobeying,  they  would  not 
so  willingly  have  listened  to  the  first 
lie.  Then,  when  charged  with  the  sin, 
how  they  each  excused  themselves  by 
trying  to  throw  the  blame  on  another! 


DEATH.  35 

And  now  they  had  offended  the  Holy 
God;  that  God  who  is  love,  the  Great 
Being  who  has  existed  forever  and  ever, 
the  merciful  God,  who  has  filled  the 
earth  with  His  goodness,  the  wise  God 
who  did  not  give  them  any  thing  very 
great  or  very  hard  to  do,  only  an  easy 
command  which  they  conld  have  obeyed. 

He  knew  when  He  pnt  them  there 
that  they  would  disobey  Him ;  bnt  that 
made  no  difference  in  their  sin,  for  they 
were  free  to  obey  and  be  happy,  or  dis- 
obey and  die.  They  chose  to  disobey, 
and  the  just  and  true  God  who  can 
not  change,  was  obliged  to  punish  them. 
Had  they  remained  pure  and  holy,  there 
never  would  have  been  any  suffering 
or  sorrow  or  pain;  but  death  came  by 
sin,  for  the  just  God  had  said :  "  In 
the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou 
shalt  surely  die." 

It  does  not  mean  that  their  bodies 
died  instantly,  but  that  they  were  under 
sentence  of  death,  and  of  a  death  more 
terrible  than  that  which  makes  the  body 


36  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

stiff  and  cold  and  lifeless.  They  were 
immediately  banished  from  their  beau- 
tiful home.  Can  you  not  imagine  their 
slow  steps,  the  sad  looks  from  eyes  that 
then  shed  the  first  tears  that  ever  fell, 
and  the  deep  sighs  of  distress  in  hearts 
that  never  before  knew  what  sorrow 
meant  ? 

But  they  were  driven  on,  till  they 
came  to  the  gates  of  paradise;  on,  into 
the  unknown  lonely  world.  If  they 
looked  longingly  back  to  their  Eden 
home,  there  was  an  angel  with  a  flam- 
ing sword,  to  guard  the  entrance  that 
they  might  never  more  return. 

Here  in  this  outer  world  were  no 
delightful  fruits;  but  they  must  toil 
and  labor,  and  in  sorrow  cultivate  the 
ground  to  produce  their  food,  and  when 
their  weary  lives  were  over,  lie  down  in 
suffering  and  pain,  and  at  last  in  anguish 
die,  and  those  bodies  become  dust. 

But  what  of  those  souls  in  the  imas;e 
of  God,  which  were  to  live  forever  and 
ever?      It   was    sad    enough   for    those 


BANISHED  FOREVER.  37 

bodies,  beautiful  in  form  and  feature, 
full  of  grace  and  vigor,  to  be  banished 
from  Paradise,  never  more  to  hold  com- 
munion with  their  Maker  as  he  talked, 
to  them  in  the  garden;  but  that  was 
not  all — those  souls  were  banished  from 
God.  They  and  their  children  were  to 
dwell  in  this  world  under  the  frown  of 
that  justly  offended  God,  until  the 
weary  body  should  be  worn  into  the 
grave. 

And  then — ah !  and  then — their  mis- 
erable souls,  still  banished  from  His 
presence,  should  be  sent  to  a  place  of 
everlasting  punishment  prepared  ~for 
Satan,   and   all  who  forget   God. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

"THE    LAW   IS   nOLT,    AND    THE    COMMANDMENT   HOLY,    AND 
JUST,    AND    GOOD." 

There  was  a  noise  and  confusion  the 
other  clay  in  the  street.  "What  was  it 
all  about  t  Every  body  was  getting  out 
of  the  way,  for  crowds  of  men  and  boys 
were  rushing  down-town.  In  the  midst 
were  two  policemen,  and  between  them, 
a  man  with  an  evil,  angry-looking  face, 
whom  they  were  dragging  along.  He 
struggled  to  get  away,  but  they  forced 
him  on,  till  they  reached  the  jail,  where 
he  was  put  in  a  cell  with  a  grated  win- 
dow, and  the  heavy  bolt  pushed  bach 
in  the  iron  door,  and  then  he  could  not 
escape. 

They  surely  would  not  have  taken  an 


THE  PRISONER.  39 

innocent  man  and  carried  Mm  off — oli ! 
no.  He  had  been  stealing,  he  .  had 
broken  the  law  of  the  land,  and  he 
must   expect   to   suffer  the   punishment. 

The  next  mornino*  he  was  brought 
into  the  court-room  to  be  examined. 
Some  questions  were  ashed  him,  and 
then  he  was  sent  back  to  his  gloomy 
cell  till  the  time  appointed  for  trial. 
Then  he  is  to  be  brought  again  to  the 
court-room,  where  sits  the  judge,  and 
the  prisoner  is  seated  on  a  low  bench 
before  him;  those  who  saw  him  steal, 
are  obliged  to  come  in  as  witnesses,  and 
prove  that  he  is  guilty. 

Sometimes  the  prisoner  engages  coun- 
sel, and  when  the  testimony  has  been 
given  proving  he  is  really  guilty,  his 
lawyer  tries  to  plead  for  him.  Suppose 
he  should  say:  "Yes,  the  prisoner  is 
guilty,  he  confesses  it;  but  he  was  suf- 
fering for  the  clothes  which  he  stole. 
Listen  to  the  bleak  winds  of  winter, 
shudder  as  you  see  the  drifts  of  snow 
beating  against  the  windows,  draw  your 


40  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

own  warm  garments  more  tightly  around 
you,  and  look  at  the  wretched  prisoner 
in  his  threadbare,  tattered  rags.  Need 
you  wonder  that  the  temptation  over- 
came him?  Gentlemen,  I  plead  for 
mercy." 

Every  heart  in  the  court  might  be 
filled  with  sorrow  for  the  wretched 
man,  but  he  is  none  the  less  guilty  of 
having  broken  the  law.  Suppose  the 
lawyer  should  rise  again,  and  say:  "I 
will  pay  a  ransom  for  this  man  —  let 
me  give  you  a  certain  sum  of  money, 
and  let  him  be  free."  But  for  every 
broken  law  there  must  be  a  punish- 
ment, and  neither  mercy  nor  pay  could 
satisfy  the  law.  To  continue  to  be  a 
perfect  law,  it  must  pronounce  the  sen- 
tence and  punish  the  guilty. 

Now  let  us  see  how  Adam  and  Eve 
stood.  They  had  stolen  from  God,  they 
had  broken  his  command.  They#  could 
not  say  they  did  not  know  it  was 
wrong;  for  when  Satan  first  tried  to 
persuade  Eve,  she  replied,  that  if  they 


THE  WITNESSES.  41 

took  the  fruit  they  should  die.  You 
may  think  it  was  a  hard  law,  that  it 
was  only  a  little  sin  and  a  very  great 
punishment;'  but  God  wished  to  try 
them;  if  they  could  not  keep  an  easy 
command,  they  would  not  keep  a  greater 
one. 

So  might  the  poor  thief  argue  that 
it  was  only  some  coarse  clothes  he  had 
stolen;  but  yet  he  had  broken  the  law 
against  stealing  just  as  much  as  if  the 
theft  was  greater.  He  might  plead  that 
he  was  in  need,  but  Adam  and  Eve  had 
no  wants  to  supply,  for  they  had  enough 
before.  Our  poor  ragged  thief  might 
plead  that  he  had  not  been  taught  the 
sin  of  stealing,  that  he  had  grown  up 
in  wretchedness  and  poverty,  surrounded 
by  people  more  wicked  than  himself. 

But  these  two  first  sinners  could  not 
offer  that  excuse,  for  they  were  created 
without  one  impure  wish,  pure  and  holy, 
and  held  converse  with  none  but  the 
Holy  One  who  made  them.  Angels 
looked  on  at  their  creation  and  sang 
4* 


42  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

songs  of  glory  to  the  Lord  who  had 
made  man  but  little  lower  than  them- 
selves. 

But  now  the  blessed  pair  had  wicked- 
ly, foolishly  sinned,  their  kind  and  loving 
Father  had  become  their  offended  Judge, 
and  all  the  angels  witnessed  this,  the 
first  broken  law. 


CHAPTER  VXII. 

"for  there  is  one  god  and  one  mediator  between  god 

AND   MAN." 

We  can  not  imagine  sorrow  in  heaven. 
If  we  could,  we  should  suppose  that 
those  heavenly  witnesses,  the  angels, 
grieved  to  see  the  fall  of  man.  Cer- 
tainly they  must  have  t>een  surprised, 
and  have  wondered  what  would  become 
of  the  dwellers  in  that  earth,  new  and 
beautiful  from  its  Maker's  hands.  Man 
himself  dared  not  utter  one  word,  there 
was  no  way  of  escape;  the  vast,  lonely 
world  was  his  prison-house  and  God  his 
angry  ruler.  Was  there  not  one  among 
the  bright  heavenly  host  who  could  beg 
for  mercy,  who  could  pray  the  Father  to 
forgive  the  rebels  ? 


44  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

But  how  should  that  commandment, 
which  was  holy  and  just,,  be  satisfied 
and  yet  man  "be  spared  i  There  was 
one  divine  eye  that  "looked  and  saw 
there  was  none  to  help,"  and  a  voice 
sweet  with  compassion  said:  "Lo,  I 
come  to  do  thy  will,  O  Lord !"  One 
powerful  arm  was  stretched  out  to 
save  and  "bring  deliverance  from  death. 
"In  His  love  and  in  His  pity  He  re- 
deemed them." 

Was  this  one  of  the  angelic  host  %  Who 
had  such  power  with  God  \  WJio  could 
redeem  and  yet  satisfy  the  law  ?  Surely 
it  must  have  lieen  one  of  equal  power 
with  God.  It  was.  One  of  the  three 
persons  in  the  Godhead  —  the  beloved 
Son  —  was  the  Mediator  between  God 
and  man.  He  it  was  who  said:  "I 
delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  God !"  And 
the  great  plan  for  which  the  world  was 
made,  for  which  God  had  permitted  sin, 
was  unfolded,  and  the  silence  of  watch- 
ing   angels  was    broken    as  they  com- 


A  MEDIATOR.  45 

mencecl  a  new  song :  "  Holy,  holy,  Lord, 
which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come." 

But  what  was  this  plan?  None  but 
one  equal  with  God,  could  have  pro- 
posed terms  which  God  could  accept. 
Man  was  under  sentence  of  death.  God 
could  not  break  his  word,  and  man  must 
die — only  death  could  satisfy  this  broken 
law. 

God  in  His  mercy  did  not  wish  to 
destroy  man  forever,  and  love  devised 
a  way  to  meet  the  punishment  and 
save  the  man.  This  Holy  Son  offered 
to  die  in  the  place  of  the  guilty,  to  let 
the  wrath  of  God  rest  on  Him  and  let 
man  be  forgiven.  Was  not  that  divine 
love  and  heavenly  pity  ?  This  is  what 
it  means  to  be  a  Mediator,  to  go  between 
two  parties,  who  can  not  of  themselves 
be  reconciled,  and  make  peace  between 
them. 

And  it  was  not  only  to  save  Adam 

and  Eve,  but  all  who  should  ever  live 

on   this   earth;    as    they   would   all    be 

kborn   in   a   state   of  sin,  since   the   first 


46  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

state  of  holiness  was  lost,  so  this  atone 
ment  would  be  so  full  and  free  as  tt 
atone  for  all  sin. 

The  lawyer  in  the  case  of  the  poor 
ragged  thief,  might  offer  in  vain  to  pay 
money  for  a  ransom — in  this  case  death 
must  be  the  penalty,  and  so  Jesus  Christ 
died,  that  His  death  might  be  the  ran- 
som. He  is  called  the  Redeemer,  be- 
cause His  dying  blood  was  the  price  by 
which  He  redeems  or  buys  back,  the 
souls  of  men.  He  is  called  the  Sav- 
iour, because  He  saves  us  from  sin  and 
its  punishment. 

God  at  once  accepted  the  promise  of 
His  coming,  but  it  was  many,  many 
years  before  He  actually  came  down  to 
this  world  to  die.  But  all  who  believed 
in  the  promise  were  forgiven,  and  God 
heard  their  prayers  and  accepted  their 
worship. 

The  people  used  to  take  the  choicest 
animal  of  their  flock — a  lamb,  a  kid,  or 
a  goat — and  burn  it  upon  an  altar,  and 
as  the   smoke  went   up  toward  heaven,4 


A  LAMB.  47 

tliey  would  pray  that  He  would  accept 
their  offering  and  forgive  their  sin.  This 
was  an  emblem  of  the  great  offering 
which  would  be  made  when  Christ  died. 
This  is  why  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
this  one  Mediator,  is  called  "  The  Lamb 
of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BEGOTTEN    SON    TO    DIE. 


Hundkeds  and  hundreds  of  years  went 
on  after  the  earth  was  created,  and  still 
God  looked  down  upon  a  world,  by  this 
time  full  of  people,  and  not  one  among 
them  all  who  was  so  perfect  that  he  did 
not  need  to  be  forgiven  of  sin.  "Wicked 
as  they  were,  He  still  loved  them,  and 
still  cherished  the  great  plan  of  salvation. 

"When  some  thousands  of  years  had 
passed,  the  time  came  to  do  as  He  had 
promised.  We  have  seen  the  love  and 
pity  of  the  Saviour  when  He  offered  to 
go  and  save  man.  But  God  the  Father 
loved  that  only  Son  with  a  love  as  great 
and  strong  as  His  power. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS.  49 

He  who  knew  all  things,  ages  before 
they  came  to  pass,  knew  what  His  Son 
must  suffer.     How  could  a  Father's  lov- 

'  ing  heart  consent  for  His  dear  Son,  His 
only  Son,  to  endure  all  this  %     Ah  !    it 

;  was  because  He  "  so  loved  the  world." 
At  last  Jesus  Christ  became  human, 
and  was  a  babe  in  Bethlehem.  You 
must  read  and  study  His  life,  for  even 
in  His  human  nature  His  history  is  a 
most  remarkable  one,  and  the  thirty- three 
years  which  he  spent  upon  earth,  were 
more  eventful  than  the  life  of  any  hero 
or  conqueror  the  world  ever  saw. 

His  is  the  only  pure  and  perfect  life 
which  ever  existed.  He  was  like  us  in 
form  and  feature,  with  the  same  wants  to 
satisfy ;  was  often  hungry  and  cold  and 
weary,  suffered  pain  of  body,  and  anguish 
of  mind,  and  was  often  tempted,  yet  never 
sinned. 

And  at  last,  when  the  days  and  nights 

of  His  life  upon  earth  were  nearly  ended, 

when  He  knew  the  time  had  come  for 

Him  to  suffer  and  die,  He  went  into  a 

5 


50  OWE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

lonely  garden  with  a  few  of  His  friends. 
It  was  a  sad,  still  place,  where  He  often 
went  to  pray ;  but  now  the  saddest  hour 
of  His  life  had  come.  Himself  pure  and 
innocent,  so  holy  He  could  not  look  upon 
sin  without  abhorrence ;  yet  the  sins  of 
a  whole  world  rested  upon  Him,  and 
crushed  His  spirit  even  to  the  earth. 

Words  could  not  describe  the  weight 
of  woe  under  which  He  suffered,  with 
groans  and  tears  and  cries ;  how  fervently 
He  prayed  to  God,  how  in  the  chilly 
night  His  worn-out  form  was  prostrate 
on  the  cold  ground,  and  yet  in  His  agony 
He  sweat  great  drops  that  fell  from  His 
face  like  drops  of  blood,  till  human  na- 
ture sunk  from  anguish  of  spirit,  and  He 
fainted. 

Do  you  not  see  what  love  it  was  in  the 
Father  to  suffer  His  dear  Son  to  endure 
all  this  for  us  ?  Did  He  not  from  heaven 
watch  every  throb  of  the  human  heart  of 
the  poor  Sufferer  through  that  terrible 
night  ?  And  when  He  fainted,  God  sent 
an  anorel  to  strengthen  Him.     This  was 


THE  CROSS.  51 

the  agony  of  spirit,  but  before  another 
ni^ht  He  had  endured  all  the  tortures  of 
body,  which  hate  and  revenge  and  cruelty 
could  invent.  Nailed  on  the  cross,  He 
died — and  the  world  was  saved.  Who 
was  this  whose  death  could  save  a 
whole  world  \ 

It  was  a  Man  ;  for  he  was  born  a  child 
in  Bethlehem,  he  grew  like  any  other 
child,  he  became  a  man,  he  walked,  he 
talked,  he  ate,  he  slept,  he  shed  tears, 
he  felt  weariness  and  shame,  like  any 
man,  and  then  he  experienced  bodily  suf- 
fering and  died,  and  his  body  became 
stiff  and  cold  and  lifeless,  and  was  "bur- 
ied. 

He  was  more  than  man ;  for  God's  pro 
phets  had  foretold  Him  hundreds  of  years 
before,  and  He  came  just  as  God  had  pro- 
mised. He  had  power  over  disease  and 
death,  over  the  waves  of  the  sea  and  the 
power  of  the  storms.  He  could  perform 
miracles,  He  foretold  future  events ;  and 
after  He  died,  in  three  days  He  rose  from 
the  grave,  appeared  to  His  friends,  and 


52  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

then  in  a  few  days  they  saw  that  same 
body,  bearing  the  print  of  His  death- 
wonnds,  rise  from  the  earth  and  ascend 
to  heaven,  "where  He  now  sits  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  " 


CHAPTER  X. 

"i  "WILL   POUR   OUT   MY   SPIKIT   UPON   ALL   FLESH." 

Jesus,  when  upon  earth,  had  a  few  very 
dear  friends ;  and  before  He  died  He  told 
them  He  was  going  back  to  His  Father's 
house,  meaning  heaven,  and  there  He 
would  prepare  a  place  for  them.  They 
were  very  sad  when  He  told  them  He 
must  suffer  and  die;  but  He  said:  "I 
will  not  leave  you  comfortless.  I  will 
pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you 
another  Comforter  that  He  may  abide 
with  you  forever."  Soon  after  this,  He 
died  as  He  had  told  them ;  but  after  He 
rose  again  He  promised  that  they  should 
be  endued  with  power  from  on  high. 

Ten  days  after  He  ascended  to  heaven, 
they  were  all  in  an  upper  room,  when 
5* 


54  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

suddenly  there  was  a  sound  as  of  a 
"mighty  rushing  wind,  which  filled  all 
the  place,  and  there  seemed  tongues  of 
fire  resting  upon  each  of  them,  and  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 

This  was  the  promised  power  from  on 
high,  this  Holy  Spirit  which  God  had 
promised  to  "  pour  upon  all  flesh." 

We  have  seen  how  Jesus  Christ  was 
equal  with  God,  how  He  had  existed 
from  eternity,  how  He  became  two  dis- 
tinct natures,  lived  and  died  and  rose 
again  to  the  bosom  of  His  Father.  But 
there  are  three  person  in  the  One  God, 
and  this  third  person,  the  Holy  Spirit, 
then  came  to  dwell  among  men. 

"We  know  we  can  not  see  a  spirit,  and 
it  is  hard  for  us  to  understand  what  this 
Holy  Spirit  is.  Jesus  Christ  himself,  in 
talking  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  said  it 
was  like  the  wind;  which  we  can  hear 
blow,  but  we  can  not  tell  from  whence 
it  comes  or  where  it  goes." 

Look  out  in  the  early  sunshine,  and 
find  a  drop  of  clew  glistening  in  the  heart 


A  POOR  LITTLE  BOY.  55 

of  a  rose.  Can  you  tell  how  in  the  silent 
night,  the  dew-drop  was  formed,  or  how 
it  came  in  the  flower?  You  only  see  that 
the  rose  which  the  evening  before  was 
dusty  and  drooping,  is  refreshed  by  the 
pure  gentle  influence  that  quietly  came 
in  its  bosom.  Thus  it  is  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  ever,  since  it  was  sent  to 
that  company  of  Jesus'  followers,  has 
dwelt  upon  the  earth,  and,  quietly  and 
unseen,  works  upon  the  hearts  of  men. 

When  children  remember  the  blessed 
words  of  Jesus,  when  they  think  of  all 
they  are  taught  in  Sabbath-school,  when 
they  try  to  be  good  and  obedient,  it  is 
the  Spirit  which  is  quietly  acting  upon 
their  hearts. 

A  poor  little  boy  was  once  out  in  the 
streets  when  they  were  covered  with 
snow.  His  shoes  had  holes  in  them,  and 
through  the  rags  in  his  coat  you  could  see 
the  purple  flesh  on  his  poor,  thin  arms. 

He  stood  looking  in  at  a  store  where 
he  saw  plenty  of  warm  stockings  and 
stout  shoes,  and  as  he  looked  had  to  keep 


56  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

striking  his  numb  feet  against  each  other 
to  keep  them  from  freezing.  Just  then 
he  saw  an  old  lady  get  in  a  carriage,  and 
something  fell  down  in  the  snow  in  the 
gutter.  He  picked  it  up — it  was  a  purse, 
full  of  money !  In  an  instant  he  seemed 
to  see  the  shoes  and  stockings  he  could 
buy,  and  his  poor,  sick  mother  comfort- 
able with  food  and  fire  and  medicine. 
For  an  instant  he  was  almost  blind  with 
joy,  then  looking  carefully  around  to  see 
if  any  one  was  watching,  he  slipped  it 
into  his  pocket.  But  while  he  looked,  it 
seemed  as  if  a  voice  wintered:  "Thou 
God  seest  me."  He  heard  that  verse  the 
Sunday  before  at  the  ragged  school,  and 
his  cheek  burned  with  shame  as  he  ran 
after  the  carriage  till  he  overtook  it,  and 
returned  the  purse  to  the  lady. 

She  saw  how  poor  he  looked,  and  her 
kind  heart  was  touched.  She  took  him 
in  her  carriage,  bought  him  warm  shoes 
and  stockings,  and  clothes,  and  then  went 
with  him  to  see  his  sick  mother,  and  be- 
came a  true  friend  to  them  both. 


A  HEAVENLY  VOICE.  57 

It  was  the  Holy  Spirit  who  whispered 
the  truth  to  the  little  boy's  heart,  and 
the  same  good  Spirit  which  prompted 
the  lady's  deeds  of  kindness. 

Thus  the  good  Spirit  watches  over 
every  little  child,  and  will  whisper  to 
their  hearts,  if  they  will  but  listen  to 
the  heavenly  voice. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

"FROM    A    CHILD     THOU    HAST     KNOWN    THE    HOLT 
SCRIPTURES." 

Theee  is  another  precious  gift  for  which 
we  should  love  and  thank  God — it  is  the 
Holy  Bible,  the  Book  of  books. 

Other  books  may  be  good,  and  we  may 
love  to  read  them;  but  they  were  all 
written  by  human  beings  like  ourselves ; 
while  this  book  is  the  work  of  many  au- 
thors, all  directed  by  God  how  and  what 
to  write. 

Then  most  of  the  books  which  we  see, 
are  written  in  a  short  time,  and  are  read 
for  a  while,  but  in  a  few  short  years  at 
most,  are  laid  aside  and  forgotten.  But 
,this  book  was  commenced  more  than  a 
thousand  years  before  Christ  was  born, 


THE  WONDERFUL  BOOK.  59 

and  was  not  finished  till  many  years  after 
He  died  and  went  to  heaven.  It  was 
commenced  by  Moses,  the  meekest  man 
who  ever  lived,  and  was  finished  by  John, 
a  good  man  whom  Jesus  loved  better 
than  any  of  His  friends,  and  who  is  called 
the  Beloved  Disciple. 

God  employed' so  many  persons  and  so 
much  time  in  making  this  book,  that  we 
might  understand  that  it  was  to  last  for- 
ever. 

Most  books  are  only  upon  one  theme, 
or  at  most,  embrace  but  few  subjects ;  but 
the  Bible  speaks  of  every  thing  which  the 
human  mind  can  think  of.  Then  it  is 
suited  to  every  body ;  the  wisest  scholar 
who  ever  lived  can  find  some  things  in  it 
which  he  needs  to  study  hard  to  under- 
stand, and  yet  the  simplest  child  can  learn 
enough  to  make  him  happy  forever. 

Most  books  we  can  study  and  soon 
learn  all  that  is  in  them,  but  this  book  is 
like  a  flowing  spring  whose  clear  waters 
gush  from  an   eternal  rock;   the  world 


60  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

may  drink  forever  and  yet  the  unceasing 
stream  will  flow  on. 

When  I  was  a  little  girl  I  knew  an  old 
gentleman*  who  was  a  wise  and  good  man. 
When  he  was  eighty  Ave  years  of  age,  he 
told  me  one  day,  that  he  and  his  wife  to- 
gether had  read  the  Bible, through  sixty 
times.  They  began  when  they  were  mar- 
ried, when  he  was  twenty-five  years  old, 
and  read  it  through  every  year. 

I  never  can  forget  when  he  laid  his 
hand,  trembling  with  age,  on  my  head, 
and  said :  "  My  dear  child,  every  time  I 
read  the  Bible,  I  learn  something  I  did 
not  know  before.  You  must  begin  to 
study  it  younger  than  I  did,  for  I  feel 
that  I  know  but  little  about  it.  I  have 
had  a  long  journey  in  this  sad  world, 
and  sometimes  the  way  has  been  very 
dark ;  but  I  thank  God  that  He  gave 
His  word  to  be  i  a  lamp  unto  my  feet  and 
a  light  to  my  path.'  I  shall  soon  be  laid 
in  the  dark  grave,  but  I  know  the  same 
holy  words  will  light  me  to  that  bright 

*  David  L.  Dodge,  of  New-York. 


THE  BOOK  FOR    CHILDREN.  61 

• 

place,  where  there  is  no  night."  The  clear 
old  man  has  long  been  gone  to  his  Messed 
home;  and  as  his  eyes,  which  grew  dim 
over  the  holy  page,  now  look  on  the  face 
of  God,  do  you  not  think  he  rejoices  that 
he  made  that  precious  "book  the  guide  of 
his  life  ? 

Children  are  very  apt  to  think  it  is 
well  enough  for  grown  people  to  read  the 
Bible,  but  that  it  was  not  made  for  them. 
But  long  before  they  can  read  they  can 
learn  to  repeat  verses,  and  listen  to  the 
sweet  stories,  for  there  are  many,  sweeter 
and  more  wonderful  than  any  story-book 
ever  told. 

Then  there  are  some  parts  of  the  Bible 
that  seem  to  have  been  written  expressly 
for  them.  There  are  many  stories  about 
children,  the  lives  of  some  who  early 
served  the  Lord,  and  when  very  young 
were  wise  and  good;  and  there  is  the 
beautiful  story  of  Jesus  Christ  holding 
the  little  ones  in  His  arms  and  blessing 
them  and  saying :  "  Of  such  is  the  king- 
dom of  heaven." 
6 


CHAPTER  XII. 


You  will  think  it  very  strange  to  be 
told  that  there  is  not  one  person  on  the 
earth  so  good  that  they  do  not  sin.  The 
Bible  tells  ns  that :  "All  have  sinned  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God." 

It  is  strange,  after  God  had  so  loved 
the  world  and  given  ns  His  beloved  Son 
to  die  for  us,  the  Holy  Spirit  to  work 
upon  onr  hearts,  and  the  Holy  Bible  to 
guide  ns,  that  still  we  are  all  snch  sinners. 

I  know  you  little  children  will  think 
this  very  hard  to  believe,  and  will  think 
of  your  father  or  mother  or  your  minister 
whom  you  think  very  good,  and  you  will 
suppose  the  Bible  did  not  mean  them. 
They  may  seem  very  good  to  you,  and  it 
is  right  that  you  should  try  to  be  like 


1\01\E  ARE  GOOD.  63 

therii  as  far  as  tliey  are  like  Christ ;  but 
if  you  could  see  in  their  hearts  as  God 
does,  you  would  find  they  have  wicked 
thoughts  sometimes,  and  that  when  they 
do  some  things  which  seem  generous  and 
good,  it  comes  from  some  wicked  wish. 

Paul,  of  whom  you  will  read  in  the 
Bible,  became  one  of  the  best  men  who 
ever  lived ;  and  even  he  said :  "  The  good 
that  I  would,  I  do  not ;  but  the  evil  which 
I  would  not,  that  I  do."  God  has  given 
us  His  law  in  ten  commandments,  which 
we  are  to  obey,  and  which  every  child 
should  commit  to  memory.  It  is  om 
duty  to  obey  these,  and  yet  there  is  no 
one  so  good  that  they  would  not,  ill  some 
way  or  some  time,  have  to  answer  for 
having  broken  some  of  these  laws. 

It  is  because  we  all  have  such  wicked 
hearts :  as  long  as  these  hearts  remain  so 
sinfiil  our  actions  can  not  be  good.  Sup- 
pose you  should  begin  from  this  hour  to 
try  and  be  good  and  obey  God  in  every 
thing;. 

I  once  heard  of  a  little  boy  who  deter- 


64  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

mined  to  try  and  see  if  for  one  day  he 
could  be  really  good.  He  did  not  kneel 
down  in  the  morning  and  pray  God  to 
help  him,  but  thought  if  he  only  said, 
"  I  will?  that  it  would  be  easy  enough. 
He  played  with  his  little  sister,  and  help- 
ed his  mother,  and  said  his  lesson,  and 
did  every  thing  very  well,  till  just  before 
dinner,  when  he  sat  down  and  thought  it 
all  over  in  this  way : 

"  Well,  Frank,  you've  been  a  good  boy 
— you  was  very  kind  to  play  with  your 
baby-sister  when  you  wanted  to  go  out  to 
the  woods ;  you  was  a  noble  boy  to  help 
your  mother ;  and  it  was  very  generous 
to  giv£  away  five  cents  to  that  poor  child. 
I  know  my  father  will  give  me  a  dime  for 
my  generosity." 

Then  he  thought  how  his  mother  would 
praise  him  for  all  this ;  but  oh !  she  could 
not  see  his  proud  heart,  nor  did  she  know 
the  motive  for  his  generosity.  After  think- 
ing of  all  this,  he  walked  into  the  house, 
holding  himself  up  very  straight,  with  a 
long,  solemn  face. 


FRANK'S  GOOD  DAY.  65 

Just  then  his  older  brother,  a  naughty 
fellow  who  loved  to  tease,  said:  "Take  a 
seat,  parson  Frank — you  look  very  saint- 
ly." Poor  Frank's  goodness  could  not 
stand  that,  and  he  answered  with  a  dou- 
bled fist  and  a  hard  blow. 

Frank  thought,  like  many  children,  that 
he  had  only  to  change  his  actions,  and 
forgot  that  it  was  his  sinful  heart.  Then 
he  thought  that  he  could  make  himself 
better,  and  did  not  pray  to  God :  "  Lead 
us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
evil."  He  thought  he  could  keej3  himself 
from  temptation,  and  began  to  be  very 
proud  of  it,  because  he  gave  up  going  to 
the  woods  to  please  his  sister ;  but  when 
he  was  angry,  instead  of  whispering,  "  De- 
liver us  from  evil,"  his  good  resolutions 
were  gone,  and  his  good  day  came  to  a 
very  bad  end. 


6* 


r^7 

A.  CLEAN  HEAi 


■V* 


^#^M^MN' 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  and   renew  a  right 
spirit  within  me." 

There  was  another  boy,  named  Charlie, 
who,  like  Frank,  wanted  to  be  good,  but 
lie  was  thoughtless,  and  did  wrong  very 
often,  and  when  asked  about  it  would 
say:  "Oh!  I  forgot." 

His  father  one  day  told  him  that  he 
had  read  of  a  way  to  make  him  remem- 
ber. Out  in  the  yard  was  a  tall  white 
post,  and  he  intended  to  keep  an  account 
there.  Every  time  he  did  wrong  he 
would  drive  in  a  nail,  so  the  big  black 
nails  would  show  him  how  often  he  had 
forgotten. 

In  a  few  weeks  there  were  many  nails 
driven  in  the  post,  but  Charlie  seemed 


THE  NAILS.  67 

sadly  troubled  to  see  so  many,  and  was 
really  trying  to  improve,  and  his  father 
told  him  that  he  would  still  drive  one  for 
every  bad  action,  but  for  every  good  ac- 
tion he  would  pull  one  out.  "Well,  for  a 
time  there  seemed  to  be  about  the  same 
number,  some  pulled  out  and  some  driven 
in  ;  but  after  a  few  months  there  was  not 
one  left. 

One  day  his  father  went  out  and  found 
Charlie  sitting  on  the  grass  at  the  side  of 
the  post  crying  bitterly. 

"  My  son,  what  is  the  matter  V  Charlie 
only  sobbed  and  pointed  to  the  post. 
"  But  my  son,  the  nails  are  all  drawn 
out."  "  Yes,  father,"  cried  Charlie,  "  but 
the  marks  are  all  there." 

Sure  enough,  there  were  the  great 
black  holes  on  the  white  post,  to  remind 
Charlie  of  all  his  faults.  His  father  told 
him  it  was  so  with  his  heart.  When  he 
was  an  innocent  baby,  it  was  pure  and 
white ;  then  as  he  began  to  unders-tand 
a  little,  he  began  to  get  angry  and  show 
a    naughty   temper;    as   he  grew   older 


68  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

the  sinful  nature  which  every  one  has 
possessed  since  Adam's  first  sin  began  to 
show  itself  more  and  more,  and  led  him 
to  speak  improper  words,  be  disobedient, 
and  commit  wicked  actions;  and  for 
every  sin,  came  a  dark  stain  on  that  pure 
heart. 

"  And,"  said  his  father,  "  if  this  marked 
post  distresses  yon,  what  wonld  you  feel 
if  you  could  see  your  heart  as  God  sees 
it,  all  stained  and  marked  and  spotted 
with  sin  V 

Perhaps  many  of  you,  like  Charlie, 
have  never  thought  of  all  this  before; 
perhaps  you  would  like  to  be  good,  but 
you  think  how  Frank  tried  and  how  his 
good  resolutions  turned  out,  and  some  im- 
patient child  will  say : 

"Well,  what's  the  use  of  trying?  I 
can't  be  good  any  way." 

But  Frank  did  not  try  in  the  right 
way.  If  you  do  as  he  did,  you  will  not 
succeed  any  better.  Charlie  was  in  a 
better  way  to  succeed  than  Frank,  for 
he  began  to  see  that  it  was  his  wicked 


TRUE  SORROW.  69 

heart  which  made  him  do  wrong.  But 
when  his  father  told  him  how  black  and 
stained  that  heart  must  look  to  God,  he 
cried  more  bitterly  than  ever,  and  said : 
"  O  Father !  what  shall  I  do  ?  I  can't 
make  it  any  better.  What  shall  I — what 
can  I  do !" 

His  kind  father  was  glad  to  see  such 
sorrow,  for  this  is  why  God  allows  us  to 
see  some  of  the  wickedness  of  our  hearts, 
that  we  may  be  truly  sorry  for  our  sins. 

"  No,  my  child,"  said  his  father,  "  you 
can  not  make  it  any  better."  God  at  first 
made  it  pure;  you  have  spoiled  it  with 
sin :  but  if  you  are  truly  sorry  and  re- 
pent of  those  sins,  He  will  forgive  them. 
He  himself  has  told  us  what  to  say  to 
Him.  Go  alone  in  your  own  little  room, 
and  repeat  over  and  over  to  Him  this 
prayer : 

"  '  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart  and  re- 
new a  right  spirit  within  me.'  " 

Sometimes  children  think — oh  !  it  will 
be  time  enough  to  think  of  this  when  I 
am  older,  and  so  they  go  on,  and  every 


70  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

time  tliey  are  disobedient  and  unkind,  or 
tell  a  lie,  or  speak  wicked  words,  the  dark 
stains  grow  darker  and  larger  until  at 
last  their  hearts  are  so  black  with  sin,  and 
so  hard,  that  they  do  not  feel  any  sorrow 
at  all. 

No  one  ever  cried  to  God  in  sorrow  as 
Charlie  did,  that  He  did  not  hear.  He 
says :  "  I  will  take  away  your  stony  heart, 
and  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh."  The 
heart,  when  it  is  full  of  sin,  is  cold  and 
hard,  and  this  is  why  the  Bible  calls  it  a 
stony  heart.  But  if  you  wall  in  sorrow 
pray  this  prayer  to  God,  to  "create  a 
clean  heart,"  He  will  fill  it  with  His 
love,  and  make  it  pure  and  kind,  and 
warm  and  gentle. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  THE   BLOOD    OF  JESUS   CHRIST  CLEANSETH   FROM  ALL   SIN." 

Do  you  know  how  it  is  that  God  can 
take  the  hard  heart,  all  stained  and  dark, 
and  wash  it  white  and  clean  ? 

"When  Jesus  Christ  was  here  on  earth, 
his  wicked  enemies  took  him  and  stretched 
his  body  upon  a  tall  wooden  cross ;  they 
took  nails  and  drove  them  through  his 
hands  and  his  feet,  and  tore  their  quiver- 
ing flesh,  and  pierced  the  veins  with  the 
rough  nails  until  the  blood  flowed  down 
from  the  cross.  He  wore  upon  his  head  a 
crown  of  thorns,  which,  in  mockery,  they 
had  put  on  him,  and  while  the  sharp 
points  of  the  thorns  pierced  his  temples 
and  the  blood  trickled  down,  his  sad  face, 


72  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

full  of  pity  for  his  cruel  murderers,  was 
lifted  toward  heaven  in  prayer  for  them. 

They  took  a  spear  and  pierced  his  side 
until  blood  flowed  from  the  wound.  Why 
did  His  Father  let  that  precious  blood  be 
spilt  ?  It  was  so  that  it  might  wash  away 
the  sins  of  the  world  —  nothing  but  that 
blood  could  cleanse  those  dark  sin-stains 
upon  every  heart.  •  And  if  it  was  not 
necessary  that  those  stains  should  be 
washed  away,  Jesus  would  not  have 
given  so  costly  a  price. 

Death  was  the  sentence  passed  upon 
all  sinners — and  as  all  have  sinned,  it  has 
passed  upon  us.  We  must  die.  Not 
only  our  bodies  but  our  souls  were  under 
sentence  of  an  eternal  death;  but  this 
"Friend  of  sinners"  came  down  from 
heaven  and  died  in  our  place,  that  we 
may  be  saved  from  that  everlasting  death* 

We  are  guilty,  and  deserve  to  die ;  but 
this  Saviour  who  never  sinned,  says :  "  I 
have  suffered  —  it  is  enough.  I  bore  the 
weight  of  sin  —  let  man  be  forgiven." 
And  God  not  only  forgives  us,  but  takes 


A  SICK  MAN.  73 

tii^se  wicked  hearts  and  washes  them  in 
Hia  precious  blood  as  clean  and  white  as 
if  they  never  had  sinned. 

He  took  onr  sins,  and  now  God,  in  His 
mercy,  forgives  and  pardons  us,  and  treats 
us  as  if  we  had  been  righteous  like  Jesus. 
Is  not  this  wonderful  love,  that  He  should 
bear  our  sins,  and  allow  us  to  wear  His 
righteousness  ? — and  this  is  what  is  meant 
by  being  justified  with  God. 

And  yet  how  many  children  and  grown 
people  know  all  this,  know  that  we  all 
are  sinners,  know  that  all  must  die,  but 
do  not  seem  to  be  at  all  anxious  to  be 
saved  from  death. 

Suppose  a  man  was  sick  of  some  loath- 
some disease,  so  that  the  fair  and  rosy 
face  was  covered  over  with  sickening 
sores,  which  every  day  were  getting 
larger  and  deeper.  Suppose  the  disease 
got  stronger  hold  upon  his  body  every- 
day, and  seemed  spreading  over  his  whole 
form,  and  he  knew  that  at  last  he  must 
die.  Then  suppose  that  many  persons 
whom  he  knew  told  the  truth,  who  were 


74  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

his  friends,  and  wished  him  to  be  well, 
should  tell  him  that  a  certain  spring  had 
been  discovered,  whose  waters  could  cure 
that  disease;  that  if  he  would  go  and 
bathe  there,  the  sore  and  painful  flesh 
would  be  healed  and  become  again 
healthy  and  smooth.  Now,  if  he  had 
reason  to  believe  that  this  word  was  true, 
would  he  not  go  as  quickly  as  possible 
and  bathe  in  the  restoring  waters  and  be 
cured  \ 

Suppose  he  should  pay  no  attention  to 
what  they  told  him,  as  if  he  did  not  care 
that  he  was  a  loathsome,  disgusting  crea- 
ture.  Suppose  he  should  say :  "  Well, 
I'll  wait  until  I  get  worse ;  when  I  think 
I  am  just  going  to  die,  I'll  go — but  there 
need  be  no  hurry  about  it;  I  don't  think 
I'm  sick  enough  yet  to  be  cured."  Would 
not  you  say  the  man  was  a  fool  ? 

But  do  you  know  your  hearts  are  in  a 
worse  condition  than  that  poor  miserable 
body;  they  are  so  scarred  and  stained 
with  sin  that  they  are  loathsome  to  God. 
Those   dark   spots  will  eat   deeper   and 


A  WONDERFUL  SPRING.  75 

deeper,  and  become  canker-sores,  whose 
painful  throbbings  will  never  cease;  and 
yet,  like  the  foolish,  sick  man,  you  do  not 
seem  to  believe  or  regard  it  when  you 
are  told,  that  a  wonderful  fountain  has 
been  opened,  where  they  can  be  washed 
and  made  clean.  You  need  not  search  to 
find  the  wonderful  spring,  for  it  is  always 
open — you  can  not  doubt  the  truth  of 
this,  for  the  Bible  tells  us  many  times, 
that  this  blood  will  wash  away  all  sin. 

The  sick  man's  disease  would  at  last 
only  kill  the  body,  but  this  heart  of  sin, 
if  still  unwashed,  will  forever  ruin  the 
soul.  Then,  why  not,  like  Charlie,  look 
at  your  hearts,  and  see  how  sinful  they 
are,  and  then  ask  God,  for  Jesus'  sake,  to 
wash  them  clean  in  that  precious  blood  \ 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"  BELIEVE  IN  THE   LORD  JESUS  CHRIST  AND  THOU  SHALT  BE 
SAVED." 

I  suppose  if  I  should  go  and  ask  every 
little  child  who  reads  this  book,  if  they 
"believed  in  Jesus  Christ,  they  would  say : 
"  Oh !  yes,  of  course  we  do.  We  believe 
that  he  is  God's  dear  Son ;  that  he  came 
to  this  world  and  died  to  save  sinners, 
and  that  he  is  now  in  heaven,  and  for  his 
sake  God  will  forgive  sin."  Yes,  it  is 
necessary  to  know  all  that ;  and  yet  that 
is  not  the  way  in  which  we  are  to  believe 
and  be  saved. 

Many  people  believe  all  that,  who  do 
not  love  God;  who  do  not  thank  Jesus 
for  dying  for  them,  and  who  never  have 


FAITH.  77 

asked  Hini  to  wash  away  their  sins  in  His 
blood.  They  never  have  felt  that  they 
were  sinners,  or  that  they  needed  to  be 
saved.  To  really  believe  on  Jesus,  is  to 
feel  your  need  of  Him,  to  feel  that  your 
heart  is  sinful  and  wicked,  that  it  will 
surely  die  if  that  sin  is  not  taken  away; 
then  to  feel  that  it  was  for  you  He  spilled 
that  precious  blood  on  the  cross,  to  believe 
that  for  His  sake,  God  will  forgive  you, 
and  to  pray  earnestly  that  He  will  wash 
away  those  sins — to  believe  that  He  hears 
your  prayers,  and  then  He  will  send  down 
into  your  heart  the  sweet  hope  that  you 
are  safe  in  His  love. 

Children  are  apt  to  think  Faith  is  a 
very  hard  thing  to  have,  and  a  hard  thing 
to  understand. 

Some  years  ago  a  strange  thing  hap- 
pened, which  will  show  you  exactly  what 
Faith  means.  During;  the  nio;ht  there 
was  a  cry,  "  Fire !  Fire  /"  It  proceeded 
from  a  large  hotel,  and  the  flames  were 
bursting  out  from  some  of  the  windows. 
7* 


78  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

ft 

The  people  rushed  out  of  the  building  as 
quickly  as  possible,  for  the  fire  raged  hot- 
ter and  fiercer  every  moment. 

In  one  room  of  the  hotel  slept  a  girl, 
about  twelve  years  old;  the  gentleman 
who  was  travelling  with  her  slept  in 
another  part  of  the  hotel,  and  in  the  con- 
fusion, could  not  find  her  room.  She 
awoke  almost  suffocated  by  the  smoke, 
and  saw  the  flames  bursting  into  the 
room. 

She  tried  to  escape,  but  the  stair-ways 
were  one  mass  of  fire.  She  went  to  the 
window,  threw  it  up,  and  looked  out; 
but  she  was  in  the  third  story,  far  from 
the  ground. 

Her  screams  of  terror  were  heard 
above  the  shouts  of  the  firemen  and 
the  crackling   of  the  angry  flames. 

The  din  of  voices  was  hushed  as  the 
crowd  below  looked  anxiously  at  the  ter- 
rible scene.  There  she  stood,  her  face 
almost  frantic  with  despair,  wildly  fling- 
ing out  her  arms,  as  if  imploring  for  aid, 
the  flames  all  behind,  and  the  wind  fan- 


SAVING  FAITH.  79 

ning  them  towards  the  thin  white  night- 
dress she  had  on. 

A  resolute  voice  said,  "She  shall  be 
saved !"  and  a  stout  fireman  stepped  out 
from  the  crowd.  There  was  a  balcony 
beneath  where  she  stood.  Seizing  a  lad- 
der, he  hastily  climbed  upon  this,  balcony, 
and  stood  directly  beneath  her,  with  out- 
stretched arms. 

"Drop  yourself  down,  and  you  shall 
be  safe!"  cried  he.  The  girl  gave  one 
agonizing  look  behind  her.  She  must 
perish  if  she  staid.  She  stepped  on  the 
window-sill,  closed  her  eyes,  let  go  her 
hold,  and  in  an  instant  the  strong  arms 
clasped  her  fainting  form. 

Closely  he  pressed  her  to  his  heart,  and 
carefully  descending  the  ladder  with  his 
precious  burden,  bore  her  to  a  place  of 
safety. 

It  was  faith  when,  in  that  instant  of 
sorrow  and  fear  and  terror,  she  deter- 
mined to  let  go  her  hold  and  drop  into 
the  strong  arms  held  out  to  save  her. 

Do  you  not  see  that  it  is  so  with  be- 


80  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

lieving  in  Christ  I  He  saves  us  from  a 
more  terrible  death  than  fire  which  can 
consume  this  frail  body.  He  stands  al- 
ways ready,  and  only  asks  for  faith 
which  will  believe  on  Him,  and  we  shall 
be  saved. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"for  thou,  .lord,  art  good,  and  ready  to  forgive." 

Whex  Jesus  was  here  in  this  world 
He  often  taught  the  people  as  children 
love  to  be  taught,  by  telling  them  stories, 
or  parables,  as  they  are  callefl..  The  Bible 
is  full  of  sweet  and  wonderful  stories; 
but  these-parables  are  better  than  all,  for 
they  came  from  the  lips  of  Jesus  himself. 
A  few  days  before  He  was  crucified  He 
told  many  stories,  and  one  which  shows 
exactly  how  ready  and  willing  God  al- 
ways is  to  forgive. 

There  was  once  a  man  who  had  two 
sons,  and  the  younger  said  to  him  one 
day  :  "  Give  me  my  share  of  all  that  will 
belong  to  me."     So  his  father  divided  all 


82  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

his  money  and  Ms  goods,  and  gave  this 
son  one  portion. 

He  took  his  money,  and  went  from  his 
home  to  a  country  far  away,  and  there 
spent  all  he  had  in  foolish  wasteful  living. 
A  famine  came  upon  the  land,  and  he  be- 
came so  poor  he  was  obliged  to  work  hard 
to  earn  enough  bread  to  eat.  He  hired 
himself  to  a  citizen  of  that  country ;  and 
the  work  which  he  was  obliged  to  do 
was  a  disgrace  to  a  Jew — he  was  to  feed 
the  swine,  the  animals  which  all  Jews 
considered  unclean.  But  he  was  so  poor 
and  so  near  starving,  that  he  often  wished 
to  eat  the  husks  which  he  gave  to  the 
miserable  animals  in  his  car^;  but  no 
kind  eye  looked  upon  his  distress ;  no 
kind  hand  gave  him  bread.  He  thought 
of  the  plenty  in  his  father's  house,  of  the 
comforts  there,  of  his  childhood  passed  in 
perfect  joy,  and  his  early  youth,  when  he 
never  knew  either  want  or  care. 

He  thought  of  the  servants  in  that 
house,  who  lived  in  ease  and  comfort, 
with  bread  enough  and  to  spare,  and  he, 


m  want.  83 

a  son,  perishing  with  hunger.  But  he 
was  an  outcast  son  ;  he  himself  proposed 
the  division  of  his  father's  goods,  that  he 
might  take  his  share  and  go  out  from 
that  loved  roof,  into  the  wide  world  open 
before  him.  He  left  that  home,  and 
here  he  is  nowT,  sunken  to  the  society  of 
these  unclean  animals,  and  almost  envy- 
ing them  their  wretched  food. 

He  feels  how  bitterly  he  is  punished 
for  his  sin,  and,  filled  with  sorrow  and 
shame,  he  determines  what  he  will  do. 
"I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and 
say,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven 
and  before  thee,  and  am  not  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son :  make  me  as  one  of  thy 
hired  servants." 

He  started  immediately — in  his  want, 
in  his  rags,  covered  with  shame,  full  of 
thoughts  of  his  <  own  unworthiness,  he 
journeyed  on  toward  his  home. 

Sometimes  when  weary  by  the  way- 
side, doubtless  he  feared  lest  his  father 
would  be  angry,  and  his  heart  almost 
sunk  within  him  as  he  came  nearer.     He 


84  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

knew  lie  did  not  deserve  to  be  a  son,  bnt 
if  lie  was  only  allowed  to  be  a  servant,  it 
wonld  be  joy  indeed. 

On  lie  went :  and  while  lie  was  a  great 
way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  ran  to 
him,  and  fell  upon  his  neck,  and  kissed 
him.  The  repentant  son  said  :  "  Father, 
I  have  sinned  against  thee,  and  am  no 
more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son." 

But  that  was  only  half  of  what  he 
meant  to  say — before  he  could  ask  to  be 
made  a  servant,  his  loving  father  com- 
manded his  servants  to  bring  the  best 
robe  and  put  it  on,  to  put  a  ring  upon 
his  hand,  and  'shoes  on  his  feet — to  make 
a  great  feast,  and  rejoice ;  "  For  this,  my 
son,  was  dead,  and  is  alive — was  lost,  and 
is  found." 


CHAPTER  XVH. 

"BEHOLD,    I  STAND   AT   THE   DOOR   AND   KNOCK." 

It  is  night :  from  a  dwelling  near  by, 
come  sounds  of  joyful  music,  and  bright 
lights  shine  out  in  the  darkness,  showing 
glimpses  of  the  gay  scene  "within. 

It  is  the  home  of  a  young  man  who  has 
invited  some  friends,  young  and  gay  as 
himself,  to  come  and  be  merry  with  him. 
He  is  young,  and  life  is  all  bright  before 
him ;  he  is  rich,  and  can  gratify  every 
desire :  but  yet  he  is  never  satisfied ; 
there  are  some  strange  longings  in  his 
heart  which  money  and  comforts  do  not 
fill.  Even  now  in  the  midst  of  the  gay- 
ety  a  voice  seems  to  whisper :  "  It  is  all  in 
vain — this  is  not  real  happiness." 
8 


86  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

After  a  while  the  music  ceases ;  one  by 
one  the  gay  guests  depart ;  and  sad  and 
alone,  the  young  man  sits  in  silence. 
Hark !  there  is  a  gentle  footstep  at  the 
door,  and  then  some  one  softly  knocking ; 
but  lost  in  his  own  dreams,  he  does  not 
seem  to  hear.  Again  and  again  the 
sound,  and  at  last  he  hears  the  knock, 
but  only  glances  that  way. 

Who  is  it,  that  is  thus  by  the  mas- 
ter of  the  house  permitted  to  stand  ? 
Through  the  half-open  door  he  must  see 
that  patient  form ;  the  light  falls  on  him, 
and  shows  his  dust-worn  robe  trailing  on 
the  ground ;  his  unprotected  head  seems 
bent  with  sorrow,  and  his  locks  all  wet 
with  the  dews  of  the  night.  His  naked 
feet  look  weary  and  worn,  but  surely  it 
was  more  than  the  dangers  of  the  way 
which  made  those  deep  scars  there.  His 
hand  is  Jiejd  out  as  if  he  asked  some 
favor,  and  there  in  that  outstretched 
hand,  there  is  a  deejD,  strange  scar.  Is 
it  not  the  print  of  a  nail  ? 

And  yet  he  stands  and  knocks,  his  face 


WAITING  STILL.  87 

full  of  pity  and  compassion,  and  tears 
of  sorrow  streaming  from  his  mild  eye. 
Who  is  it  that  is  treated  with  such 
meanness,  left  to  stand  in  the  cold  dews 
of  night  \ — for  still  the  young  man  does 
not  open  to  his  imploring  knock.  And 
who  is  this  stranger  that  thus  stands  and 
knocks  and  waits?  It  is  a  heavenly 
Visitor — the  same  feet  that  bled  on  the 
cross,  stand  waiting  to  be  invited  in ; 
the  same  hands  that  were  pierced  with 
nails,  are  stretched  out  as  if  to  implore 
mercy. 

And  there  sits  the  young  man  un- 
moved, and  sighing  for  some  real  happi- 
ness, when  the  hand  which  is  held  out  to 
him,  if  he  would  but  accept  it,  would 
give  him  everlasting  joy.  "What  do  you 
think  of  such  a  young  man  ? 

Ah !  children,  this  is  no  picture  of 
mine.  Jesus  Himself  says  these  blessed 
words  :  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and 
knock:  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and 
open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."     Again 


88  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

He  says :  "  If  a  man  love  me,  he  will 
keejD  my  words :  and  my  Father  will  love 
him,  and  we  will  come  nnto  him,  and 
make  onr  abode  with  him." 

Was  not  that  a  foolish  yonng  man  to 
slight  such  promises  as  these?  —  not  to 
open  the  door  to  such  a  visitor  ?  But  do 
you  know  that  unless  we  love  Jesus,  and 
have  this  saving  faith  in  Him,  we  are  all 
like  that  young  man  ?  Every  week  that 
you  learn  these  precious  verses,  you  are 
shown  the  way  of  life ;  and  then  if  you 
would  stop  and  listen,  you  would  hear 
this  knocking  at  the  door  of  your  hearts. 
This  kind  Friend  does  not  wait  for  us  to 
seek  Him ;  He  comes  and  stands  and  begs 
as  if  Hq  was  to  receive  some  favor  from 
us,  instead  of  granting  to  us  the  only  joy 
and  comfort  which  will  last  forever. 

But  you  have  gay,  thoughtless  com- 
panions ;  your  hearts  are  full  of  pleasure 
which  amuses  for  the  time ;  and  you 
silence  the  thoughts  of  that  Saviour  who 
knocks  for  admittance,  and  think :  "  I'm 
a  little  child  now  —  when  I'm  older,  it 


SLIGHTED    CALLS.  89 

will  be  time  enough  to  think  about  all 
that."  'And  so  you  go  on,  like  the  but- 
terfly which  flits  through  the  sunbeam, 
and  lights  on  the  gaudiest  flowers,  never 
knowing  that  a  cold  night  will  come 
when  there  will  be  neither  warmth  nor 
food  in  the  perished  flowers,  and  he  must 
fold  his  gaudy  wing,  and  like  them  perish 
in  the  dust. 


8* 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


I  AM  THE   BREAD    OP   LIFE.' 


Once  while  Jesus  was  liere  in  this 
world,  he  had  been  talking  all  day  to  a 
great  crowd  of  men,  women,  and  child- 
ren, who  had  all  come  together  to  hear 
and  see  this  man  who  had  done  so  many 
wonderful  things. 

They  listened  to  his  teachings  until  it 
was  almost  evening,  not  even  allowing 
Jesus  any  time  to  eat ;  and  neither  his 
disciples  nor  the  hungry  crowd  had  eaten 
any  food.  The  disciples  told  Jesus  that 
the  day  was  almost  gone,  and  asked  him 
to  send  the  people  away,  that  they  might 
go  into  the  towns  and  buy  themselves 
food  to  eat.     Jesus  asked  how  much  they 


ON  THE  GREEN  GRASS.  91 

had  with  them;  they  answered:  "Five 
loaves,  and  two  small  fishes." 

Jesus  then  told  the  disciples  to  have 
the  people  all  sit  down  in  companies. 
So  they  arranged  them  all  by  fifties  and 
hundreds,  seated  in  rows,  on  the  green 
grass.  Then  Jesus  took  the  bread  and 
the  two  little  fishes,  and  looking  up  to 
heaven,  blessed  and  broke  them  in  pieces, 
and  told  them  to  hand  the  food  around 
to  the  multitude.  They  did  so,  and  there 
was  plenty  for  all. 

After  they  had  eaten,  Jesus  told  them 
to  gather  up  the  pieces  which  were  left, 
for  it  is  not  His  will  that  any  thing 
should  be  lost  or  wasted.  They  gath- 
ered them  all  together,  and  what  was  left 
filled  twelve  baskets — far  more  than  the 
small  loaves  which  they  had  at  first ;  and 
yet  five  thousand  men,  besides  women 
and  children,  had  been  fed.  "Was  it  not 
kind  in  Jesus  to  feed  the  hungry  multi- 
tude ? — for  he  looked  on  them  with  com- 
passion, and  in  pity  fed  them. 

But  it  was  not  alone  compassion  for 


92  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

those  hungry  people  that  he  "by  a  miracle 
supplied  bread  for  their  wants ;  it  was 
that  wherever  the  Gospel  is  known  this 
story  shall  be  told  to  show  that  He  can 
satisfy  the  hungry  soul.  Our  bodies  are 
so  formed  that  we  must  have  food — with- 
out it  we  die ;  and  God  has  provided  it 
in  abundance  to  supply  our  every  want. 

So  our  souls  hunger  after  something 
which  the  joys  and  cares  and  business  of 
this  world  never  can  give.  It  is  this 
want  of  our  souls  which  the  love  of  Jesus 
will  fill,  and  so  He  says  :  "  I  am  the  liv- 
ing bread,  which  came  down  from  heav- 
en :  if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall 
live  forever."  He  says  ( also  :  "  Blessed 
are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness:  for  they  shall  he  filled" 

The  good,  loving  Jesus,  is  so  anxious 
to  fill  our  hungry  souls,  that  He  comes  in 
every  way  to  try  and  win  our  hearts  to 
Him.  He  calls  Himself  "  the  water  of 
life,  of  whom  if  a  man  drink,  he  shall 
never  thirst."  "We  know  what  suffering 
it  must  be  to  die  of  thirst — to  long  for 


WATER   OF  LIFE.  93 

even  a  drop  of  cooling  water  to  soothe 
the  dry  and  burning  tongue.  He  repre- 
sents Himself  as  a  fountain,  that  is  al- 
ways flowing,  always  ready,  that  never 
can  "be  exhausted,  though  thousands  and 
thousands  drink,  and  are  satisfied :  still 
He  cries :  "  Come  to  the  waters  and  drink, 
without  money  and  without  price." 

And  at  the  close  of  the  precious  Bible 
once  more  the  invitation  is  repeated : 
"  The  Spirit  says,  Come  /  and  let  him  that 
heareth  say,  Come ;  and  whosoever  will, 
let  him  come  and  drink  of  the  water  of 
life  freely." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


I   AM    THE    GOOD    SHEPHERD.7 


Here  in  this  country  we  do  not  know 
much  about  the  life  of  a  shepherd.  It  is 
a  person  whose  business  it  is  to  watch 
and  care  for  a  flock  of  sheep  and  lambs. 
All  day  he  watches  them,  and  leads  them 
wrhere  they  can  find  the  greenest  and  ten- 
derest  grass,  and  through  meadows  where 
there  is  fresh  and  flowing  water  for  them 
to  drink. 

They  all  love  him  for  his  kindness,  and 
learn  to  know  his  voice  and  follow  his 
footsteps.  When  he  calls  they  gladly  go 
wherever  he  leads  them,  and  the  little 
lambs  are  fed  from  his  hand.  The  young-  I 
est  of  his  flock  he  gathers  in  his  arms  and 


THE  FOOLISH  LAMB.  95 

carries  them  in  his  bosom,  and  when  they 
wander  to  rough,  stony  paths,  he  goes 
after  them,  and  carefully  guides  them 
back  to  a  place  of  safety. 

In  the  cool  mornings  and  evenings  he 
goes  with  them  to  the  sunny  hills,  that 
they  may  enjoy  the  warm  air ;  but  in  the 
noon-day  heat  he  finds  for  them  a  spread- 
ing shade,  where  under  some  broad  tree 
they  all  gladly  gather  around  him  who 
so  tenderly  watches  them.  At  night  he 
calls  them  all  together  and  puts  them 
within  a  fold  or  inclosure,  to  keep  them 
safe,  lest  if  they  staid  out  in  the  broad 
field  some  hungry  wolf  would  steal  in, 
and  in  the  darkness  carry  away  a  tender 
lamb. 

I  expect  you  have  all  heard  of  the  fool- 
ish little  lamb  who  was  tired  of  staying 
in  the  fold.  She  looked  far  away  in  the 
distance,  and  saw  the  blue  mountains, 
and  thought  that  must  be  some  enchant- 
ed land ;  and  she  began  t<3  wish  and  wish 
that  she  could  wander  away  by  herself, 
and  see  what  grew  on  the  mountains. 


96  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

When  she  had  these  thoughts  she  did 
not  love  the  voice  of  the  shepherd  as  she 
once  did,  and  at  last  she  determined  to 
steal  away.  Her  mother  told  her  of  the 
dangers  of  that  outer  world,  of  the 
fierce  animals  that  would  devour  her; 
but  she  would  not  believe  it.  She 
thought  one  little  lamb  could  go  through 
the  woods  so  quietly,  she  would  never  be 
found  out. 

One  night  when  the  shepherd  called 
she  hid  herself  under  a  tall  bush  until 
ijie  flock  was  folded,  and  then  she  crept 
out,  crossed  the  road,  and  started  toward 
the  blue  mountains.  For  a  while  the 
moon  shone  brightly  on  her  way;  but 
dark  clouds  soon  came,  and  she  could  not 
see  the  rough  stones  and  sharp  briers 
before  her. 

The  shepherd  counted  his  flock,  and 
one  was  missing.  He  went  out  to  the 
wilderness,  and  called,  but  there  was  no 
answer.  He  would  have  taken  the  lamb 
and  carried  it  in  his  arras  safely  back, 
but   she   was    hid    under    a    rock,   and 


LOST.  97 

though   she   heard  him   call   again  and 
again,  she  would  not  go  back  to  him. 

He  returned  to  his  flock,  but  his  heart 
was  full  of  pity  for  the  lost  lamb.  The 
sheep  were  quietly  sleeping  on  the  ground 
all  around,  and  the  little  lambs  closely 
nestled  in  their  warm  fleecy  beds,  but  he 
could  not  rest,  and  often  raised  his  head 
and  listened  to  see  if  he  could  hear  the 
voice  of  the  wanderer  coming  back  to 
him.  Hark!  in  the  stillness  there  were 
some  fearful  cries,  and  the  shriek  of  hun- 
gry wolves  quarrelling  over  the  lamb  as 
they  tore  her  in  pieces. 

Now  the  Saviour  is  the  good  Shepherd, 
and  He  sweetly  calls  for  these  lambs  to 
remain  in  His  fold.  Will  any  of  these 
dear  little  ones  stray  away  to  the  moun- 
tains of  sin,  and  refuse  to  come  back 
when  he  so  tenderly  calls !  If  you  do, 
there  is  a  worse  enemy  than  the  wolf, 
one  who  is  always  watching  for  prey. 
The  same  wicked  one  who  tempted  our 
mother  Eve  in  the  garden,  still  "goes 
about  like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom 
9 


98  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

he  may  devour."  He  rejoices  to  find  the 
foolish  little  lambs  that  are  wandering 
away  from  the  Saviour's  fold. 

Some  of  the  dear  ones  who  used  to 
spend  with  us  this  "one  hour  a  week," 
are  not  with  us  now.  They  are  the  gath- 
ered lambs  which  He  has  taken  in  His 
arms  and  carries  in  His  bosom.  "We  will 
not  wish  they  were  back  with  us,  for 
they  are  safe  forever,  feeding  on  the  bread 
of  life,  in  the  green  fields  of  paradise, 
drinking  of  the  fountain  of  living  water. 
Let  us  listen  to  the  call  of  the  good  Shep- 
herd wherever  He  may  lead,  and  we  shall 
all  meet  at  last,  safely  gathered  in  His 
heavenly  fold. 


• 


CHAPTER  XX. 


QUENCH   NOT   THE    SPIRIT. 


Deae  children,  when  you  think  of  this 
good  Shepherd  calling  you  to  be  His  own 
precious  lambs,  do  you  not  feel  your 
hearts  full  of  love  to  Him,  and  wish  that 
you  might  really  see  Him  and  run  to 
Him,  that  He  might  fold  you  in  His 
arms  and  bless  you,  as  He  did  the  little 
children  when  He  was  on  earth  \ 

And  sometimes  at  night,  when  the 
evening  shadows  gather  around  you,  a 
voice  seems  to  say :  "lam  the  Way,  the 
Truth,  and  the  Life ;  believe  in  me."  Do 
not  try  to  drive  away  these  blessed 
thoughts ;  it  is  the  voice  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  Jesus  sends  to  help  you  to 
remember  all  His  words.     He  is  so  afraid 


100  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

you  will  not  listen  and  believe  and  live, 
that  after  calling  you  in  every  way  to 
lead  you  to  Hiin,  He  sends  His  Spirit, 
gently  to  melt  your  heart ;  and  then  He 
so  fears  you  will  not  listen  and  be  led  by 
it,  that  He  tells  you  not  to  quench  the 
Spirit.  You  know  what  it  would  be  to 
quench  a  fire;  it  can  be  done  in  many 
ways.  You  can  pour  water  on  it,  you 
can  smother  it,  or  you  may  let  it  alone, 
and  it  will  go  out  of  itself.  So  it  is  with 
this  Holy  Spirit. 

Many  times,  children,  and  older  people, 
too,  try  to  drown  all  their  serious  thoughts 
in  pleasure,  to  hide  their  real  feelings  by 
a  loud,  merry  laugh,  and  to  avoid  going 
where  they  will  hear  any  thing  to  make 
them  think  anxious  thoughts  about  their 
own  hearts.  But  when  they  do  any  of 
these  things,  they  not  only  slight  and 
pain  that  dear  Saviour,  but  they  break 
His  command. 

Many  children  try  to  silence  all  care 
about  their  souls  by  saying :  "  I'm  too 
young  now  to   think  of  this  —  children  > 


'  AN  OPENING  BUD.  101 

can't  be  Christians."  But  this  is  a.  great 
mistake.  If  you  wished  to  give  a  flower 
to  a  Mend,  to  show  your  love  for  hiin, 
you  would  not  wait,  and  let  the  hot  sun 
beam  on  it  through  all  the  livelong  day, 
and  when  it  was  withered,  its  sweetness 
all  gone,  and  its  leaves  just  ready  to  drop 
from  its  stem,  you  would  not  then  offer  it 
as  an  evidence  of  your  love.  The  time  to 
give  it  would  be  when  the  bud  was  just 
opening,  sweet  and  fresh,  glistening  with 
morning's  early  dewdrops  on  its  unfold- 
ing leaves. 

So  with  your  hearts.  While  they  are 
young  and  pure,  fresh  with  the  dew  of 
youth,  give  them  to  Him  who  claims 
your  best  love.  It  is  not  so  hard  to  be  a 
Christian  now,  as  it  will  be  when  you 
are  old,  your  heart  hard  with  sin.  Only 
try  and  do  as  you  have  been  taught,  and 
quench  not  the  Spirit,  and  you  will  feel 
in  your  heart  the  sweet  hope  that  you 
[are  one  of  God's  dear  children. 

If  it  was   intended   that   only  grown 
people  should  be  Christians,  this  way  of 
9* 


102  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

life  would  not  have  "been  made  so  easy 
and    so    plain.      Not    only   does    Jesus 
wish   the    young   to   "be   Christians,  hut 
when  He  was  here,  one  day  while  teach- 
ing His  disciples  He  called  a  little  child 
to  Hirn,  and  taking  it  in  His  arms,  said : 
"  Except  ye  receive  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  a  little  child,  ye  can  not  enter  therein." 
Then  the  Bible  tells  us  of  many  good 
children   who    were    Christians.      There 
was  one  little  hoy  named  Samuel,  who 
was  sent  "to  live  in  the  temple  and  wait 
upon   the   priests.     One  night  while  he 
was    asleep,  he    heard   a  voice   calling: 
"  Samuel !      Samuel !  "      He     answered, 
thinking  it  was  the  priest  who   called 
him,  but  again  and  again  he  heard  the 
voice.     It  was  the  Lord  who   came  to 
talk  with  him,  and  show  him  His  holy 
will. .  This  was  long  before  Christ  was 
born.     He  does  not  now  speak  to  us  as 
He  did  to  Samuel;  but  Jesus  through] 
His  Spirit  calls  every  little  child  to  Him, 
as  plainly  as  if  He  called  them  every  one 
by  name,   and   said:    "  Kepent   and  be- 
lieve." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE    FRUIT    OF    THE    SPIRIT    IS    LOVE,    JOT,    PEACE,    LONG 
SUFFERING,    GENTLENESS." 


I  hope  some  of  these  dear  cliilclreii 
have  learned  to  love  the  dear  Shepherd 
who  watches  over  them,  and  have  earnest- 
ly prayed  to  God  for  Jesus'  sake,  to 
wash  their  hearts  clean  in  His  precious 
blood.  But  they  must  not  suppose  that 
when  they  have  done  this,  the  good  work 
is  done — it  is  only  begun.  We  are  told 
that  we  must  pray  without  ceasing,  for 
we  are  constantly  sinning  and  need  con- 
stant forgiveness,  and  the  best  Christians 
are  those  who  are  most  sorry  for  their 
sins. 

The  difference  between  a  Christian  and 


104  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

others  is,  tliat  one  is  a  penitent  sinner, 
who  feels  that  he  is  a  child  of  God,  and 
that  His  loving  Father  is  always  kind 
and  ready  to  forgive ;  bnt  impenitent  sin- 
ners are  those  who  go  on  and  are  never 
sorry;  who  do  not  repent,  or  care  that 
they  are  offending  a  kind  and  just  God. 

But  it  is  our  duty  to  try  and  keep  from 
sin,  and  if  we  have  a  new  heart,  to  com- 
mence a  new  life.  It  is  not  true  repent- 
ance to  be  sorry  and  seek  forgiveness, 
and  then  go  on  doing  the  same  things 
over  again ;  we  must  repent  and  forsake 
our  sins.  If  the  good  Spirit  dwells  in 
our  hearts,  we  shotdd  show  it  in  our 
lives. 

Once  while  Jesus  was  here,  He  sat 
upon  a  mountain,  the  people  all  around 
Him,  and  preached  a  sermon.  He  told 
them  they  could  judge  the  heart  by  the 
acijons.  He  asked  them  if  men  could 
gather  "  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of 
thistles,"  and  then  said:  "Even  so  every 
good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit."  It 
is  just  as  true  now  as  it  was  eighteen 


LL 


PRECIOUS  FRUITS.  105 


dred  years  ago,  for  the  heart  of  man 
now  is  just  as  it  was  then.  You  might 
as  well  expect  to  find  delicious  grapes 
growing  on  a  thorn-tree,  as  to  see  good 
and  lovely  actions  come  from  an  evil 
heart. 

If  this  Spirit  of  God  dwells  in  the 
heart,  its  fruit  will  show  in  the  life,  and 
the  Bible  tells  us  what  those  fruits  will 
;be.  You  may  think  it  is  a  long  list,  and 
that  you  can  not  always  live  in  "love, 
joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness."  Ii 
you  depend  only  on  yourself,  you  could 
not  for  a  single  day  keep  from  sin;  but 
;this  Spirit  which  will  dwell  in  your 
heart,  will  help  you  to  keep  in  the 
-right  way. 

Some  Christians  are  so  fearful  and 
timid  they  seem  to  be  always  sad ;  they 
have  not  enough  faith  to  remember  that 
God  has  said :  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for 
thee."  They  forget  that  one  of  the  fruits 
of  the  Spirit  is  joy ;  they  forget  that 
David,  the  sweet  singer  of  old,  said: 
"Let  all  those   that   put  their  trust   in 


106  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

Thee  rejoice ;  let  them  ever  shout  for  joy, 
because  Thou  defendest  thern;  let  them 
also  that  love  Thy  name  be  joyful  in 
Thee." 

Children  sometimes  .  think  it  is  a 
gloomy  thing  to  be  a  Christian,  but 
they  are  mistaken.  It  was  not  a  gloomy 
thing  when  an  angel  came  to*  the  shep- 
herds in  the  fields  of  Bethlehem,  and 
said:  "I  bring  you  tidings  of  great  joy." 
And  it  was  glad  music  when  a  multitude 
of  the  heavenly  host  sang :  "  Glory  to 
God  in  the  highest." 

Except  for  these  glad  tidings  life  would 
have  been  gloomy  indeed;  then,  who 
should  be  so  joyful  as  those  who  hope 
their  sins  are  forgiven?  We  are  told: 
"  There  is  joy  in  heaven  among  the  angels 
over  one  sinner  that  repenteth."  .  Let  us, 
then,  always  be  glad,  and  remember  that 
"  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord  shall  return, 
and  come  with  singing;  and  everlasting 
joy  shall  be  upon  their  heads ;  they  shall 
obtain  gladness  and  joy,  and  sorrow  and 
mourning  shall  nee  away." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

uTHOU  SHALT  LOVE  THE  LORD  THY  GOD,  WITH  ALL  THY 
HEART,  AND  WITH  ALL  THY  SOUL,  AND  WITH  ALL  THY 
MIND." 

Some  years  ago,  I  was  travelling  in  the 
cars,  when  by  an  accident  they  were  de- 
tained, and  all  the  passengers  were  col- 
lected in  a  large  room  at  the  depot,  wait- 
ing until  they  could  start  on  again.  It  was 
the  middle  of  the  night,  and  every  body 
was  chilly  and  tired,  and  wrapped  them- 
selves in  their  travelling-shawls  and 
cloaks,  and  tried  to  be   comfortable. 

Close  by  me  was  a  woman  with  a 
little  child,  whom  I  had  noticed  when  in 
the  cars  before  dark ;  bnt  she  was  now 
sobbing  bitterly :  "  Why  couldn't  I  go 
with  my  mamma  —  I  want  my  mamma," 


108  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

The  woman  tried  to  quiet  her,  but  still 
she  cried:  "I  want  rny  mamma."  Poor 
child !  her  mother  was  dead.  The  woman 
told  me,  that  only  a  few  ckys  before, 
while  she  was  watching  beside  her,  she 
kissed  the  child  farewell,  and  with  a 
prayer  on  her  lips  that  God  would  take 
care  of  her  desolate  orphan,  she  died. 
This  woman  said :  "  I  do  not  know  what 
I  can  do  for  her,  for  I  am  poor  myself; 
but  I  could  not  leave  her  alone,  and  I 
determined  to  take  her  with  me  to  the 
West,  and  try  to  find  a  home  for  her 
somewhere." 

A  thoughtful-looking  lady  sat  by,  and 
listened  to  the  story ;  then  she  took  the* 
sobbing  little  girl  up  in  her  arras,  softly  \ 
\stroked  her  smooth  brown  hair,  talked  to 
Ler  in  a  gentle  tone  until  the  tears  were 
all  dried  away,  and  soon  the  little  head 
nestled  down  on  her  shoulder,  and  the 
blue  eyes  were  fast  asleep. 

The  lady  and  her  husband  seemed 
earnestly  talking  about  the  little  sleeper, 
and  soon  asked  the  woman  who  had  the 


THE  CHILD  ADOPTED.  109 

i  care  of  her,  if  she  would  give  her  to 
them.  They  assured  her  that  they  would 
take  good  care  of  her,  and  would  love 
her  and  teach  her  as  if  she  was  their 
own  child. 

They  once  had  a  little  daughter,  but 
she  died;  and  now  if  they  could  adopt 
this  child  to  gladden  their  lonely  home, 
they  would  be  happy,  and  do  exactly  for 
her  as  they  would  for  their  own  daughter. 
Upon  being  satisfied  that  their  story  was 
true,  the  woman  said  they  might  take 
her,  if  the  little  girl  was  willing  to  go 
with  them.  Tenderly  the  lady  held  the 
little  sleeper,  covering  her  with  her  own 
warm  shawl. 

After  a  while  the  little  one  awoke,  but 
finding  how  kindly  she  was  cared  for,  the 
frightened  face  sank  back  again,  and  she 
began  to  talk  in  her  sweet  baby-lan- 
guage. " Mamy  love  you"  she  said, 
and  kissed  her  new  friend.  The  lady 
told  of  her  pleasant  home  in  the  country, 
of  the  birds  and  the  flowers,  and  then 
10 


110  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 


• 


asked  little  Mary  if  she  would  not  like 
to  go  there. 

By  the  time  the  shrill  whistle  warned 
ns  to  start  again,  the  little  heart  was  won, 
and  the  next  morning  she  was  seated  at 
"breakfast  "by  her  new  mamma,  as  if  she 
had  always  belonged  there.  As  weeks 
and  months  rolled  on,  and  her  adopted 
mother  and  father  continued  their  kind- 
ness in  the  home  they  gave  the  little 
orphan,  do  you  not  suppose  she  loved 
them  ?  She  did  not  need  to  be  told  that 
she  must  love  them,  nor  to  stop  and  won- 
der why  she  did  so.  If  asked,  she  could 
easily  have  said  :  "  Because  they  love  me, 
and  give  me  all  I  have  to  make  me  so 
happy." 

Ah !  is  it  not  strange  that  we  need  to 
be  commanded  to  love  Him  who  gave  us 
our  homes  in  this  beautiful  world,  our 
friends  and  all  our  comforts?  Is  it  not 
strange  that  our  love  does  not  always  go 
up  to  Him,  instead  of  needing  to  be  told 
how  we  must  love  Him  \  Need  He  who 
made  our  hearts,  our  souls,  and  our  minds, 


ADOPTION.  Ill 

claim  their  services  ?  But  more  than  all, 
He  lias  given  ns  His  Son  and  His  Holy 
Spirit.  Still  more,  when  we  are  lost  in 
this  journey  of  life,  led  away  in  strange 
paths  by  sin,  if  we  will  but  love  Him, 
He  will  by  adoption  make  us  His  own 
sons  and  daughters,  and  be  always  our 
kind,  loving  Father.  Jesus  says,  if  we 
will  do  His  will,  He  will  be  our  own 
Elder  Brother.  Who  could  refuse  to 
love,  with  the  promise  of  being  adopted 
among  the  children  of  God,  with  Jesus 
for  a  dear  Brother,  and  a  place  forever  in 
that  blessed  heavenly  home  \ 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"PRAT    UNTO    ME,    AND    I   WILL    HEARKEN." 

Do  you  remember  the  little  girl  who 
was  adopted  by  the  lady  and  gentleman 
in  the  cars  i  Well,  if  that  little  girl  when 
she  was  playing  should  fall  and  be  hurt, 
do  yon  not  think,  she  would  tell  her  kind 
mother?  If  there  was  something  she 
wished  for  very  much,  would  she  not  ask 
her  kind  father  to  give  it  to  her  ?  And 
if  she  had  done  something  wrong,  and 
was  sorry,  would  she  not  come  and  throw 
her  arms  round  his  neck,  and  hide  her 
face  against  his  shoulder,  and  beg  him  to 
forgive  her  ? 

Is  not  God  a  better  Father  to  us  than 
the  adopted  father  of  the  little  girl  1  He 
wishes   us  to   go  to  Him  with   all  our 


DOES  HE  HEAR?  113 

wants  and  sorrows,  just  as  the  child 
would  go  to  her  father  whom  she  loves. 

We  are  apt  to  feel  as  if  God  was  so 
far  away,  that  heaven  is  so  far  from  earth, 
that  we  may  say  over  our  prayers  as  if 
we  were  just  talking  to  ourselves,  and 
nobody  could  hear. 

But  God  says :  "  Pray  to  me,  and  I 
will  hearken."  We  know  that  His  word 
is  true,  and  He  says,  "  He  will  hearken ;" 
so  if  He  does  not  hear  us,  the  fault  must 
be  either  that  we  do  not  pray  at  all,  or 
that  we  do  not  pray  aright. 

He  says  He  will  hearken,  but  children 
sometimes  think :  "  He  may  hear  grown 
people,  but  I  don't  believe  He  hears  us." 
Perhaps  they  never  think  to  see  whether 
He  answers  their  prayers  or  not;  but 
there  never  was  a  time  when  the  most 
feeble  little  voice  cried  to  Him  and  He 
did  not  hear. 

Last   summer,  when  the   blackb ernes 

were   ripe,  there  were   three   little   girls 

who  started  out  in  the  afternoon  to  pick 

berries.     They  lived  in  the  West,  not  far 

10* 


114  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

from  some  great  woods,  where  the  trees 
were  so  thick  and  tall  that  the  sunshine 
scarcely  ever  got  in.  They  walked  on 
through  the  woods,  until  they  reached  a 
little  opening  where  the  berries  grew,  and 
there  picked  the  ripe  fruit  till  they  filled 
their  baskets,  walking  on  and  on,  all  the 
time. 

At  last,  the  eldest  one,  who  was  ten 
years  old,  thought  it  was  time  to  start 
home.  They  walked  toward  home,  as 
they  thought,  "but  there  was  no  path 
through  the  woods,  and  they  saw  that 
the  sun  had  gone  down,  and  it  was  get- 
ting dark.  They  still  walked  on  a  little 
farther,  "but  the  youngest  one  cried  that 
the  briers  hurt  her  feet,  and  they  sat 
down.  The  wind  began  to  moan  in  the 
tall  tree-tops,  and  every  moment  it  grew 
darker. 

They  did  not  know  what  to  do ;  the 
little  ones  began  to  cry ;  but  the  eldest 
one  said :  "  God  can  see  us,  if  it  is  so 
dark — let  us  ask  Him  to  take  care  of  us." 
So   the   three  little   girls   took  hold  of 


WATCHING  AND  PRAYING.  115 

hands,  and  knelt  down  on  the  ground, 
while  'the  eldest  one  prayed  aloud  and 
asked  God  to  help  them  safely  out  of  the 
lonely  woods.  They  all  ate  some  of  the 
berries  for  their  supper,  and  then  the  two 
little  ones  soon  cried  because  they  were 
tired  and  cold. 

The  oldest  one  found  some  bark  and 
moss,  and  made  a  little  heap  of  them,  and 
then  gathered  up  the  dry  leaves  to  make 
as  soft  a  bed  as  she  could,  with  the  moss 
for  a  pillow.  She  laid  the  little  ones 
down,  and  .took  off  her  apron  and  cover- 
ed them,  and  then,  after  praying  once 
more,  she  told  them  to  go  to  sleep,  and 
she  sang  sweet  hymns  to  them  to  soothe 
their  fears.  They  were  soon  sound  asleep, 
and  then  she  gathered  some  wintergreen 
leaves,  that  she  smelt,  growing  close  by, 
for  she  knew  they  would  wake  early  in 
the  morning,  hungry.  The  minutes  and 
hours  seemed  long  and  dreary  to  her,  as 
she  watched  the  dismal  bed  and  its  pre- 
cious sleepers ;  but  she  sang,  "  to  pass  the 


116  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

rdglit  away,'1  she  said,  and  when  she  got 
afraid,  she  prayed  to  God. 

All  this  time  her  father  and  mother, 
with  many  of  the  neighboring  farmers, 
where  looking  everywhere  for  the  lost 
children.  They  earned  lanterns  with 
them  through  the  dark  woods,  and 
looked  and  listened  every  step.  At 
last  the  mother's  quick  ear  heard  a 
voice ;  they  followed  it,  and  the  lantern- 
light  showed  them  two  little  sleepers  on 
a  "bed  of  leaves,  and  the  noble  little 
woman  on  her  knees  beside  them,  still 
praying  for  help  from  Heaven. 

Do  you  think  God  hears  children  when 
they  pray  '? 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

PRAY     "WITHOUT     CEASING. 

We  see  that  when  the  lost  children 
were  in  trouble,  and  cried  to  God,  He 
heard  them;  but  if  we  only  pray  when 
we  are  in  sorrow,  and  when  we  are  happy 
forget  all  about  it,  can  we  expect  to  be 
heard  \  Our  Father  in  heaven  never  for- 
gets us;  every  hour,  whether  we  are 
asleep  or  awake,  He  keeps  our  hearts  in 
motion,  for  if  he  should  forget  us  we 
should  die.  And  so  He  tells  us  to  pray 
without  ceasing,  that  is,  to  live  in  the 
regular  habit  of  prayer. 

You  never  forget  to  eat  when  it  is 
time  for  breakfast  and  supper ;  then  you 
should  never  forget  to  thank  God  morn- 
ing and  evening  for  His  mercies,  and  to 


118  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

ask  Him  to  forgive  your  sins,  to  bless 
you,  and  give  you  his  Holy  Spiiit  to 
make  you  better.  I  once  heard  of  a 
little  boy  who  knelt  down  by  his  bed, 
and  said  something  over  and  over,  as  fast 
as  he  could.  His  mother  said :  "  My  son, 
what  are  you  doing  V  He  answered 
"  Oh !  I  am  saying  my  prayers  over  seven 
times,  so  I  need  not  say  any  more  for  a 
week." 

Plenty  of  little  children  will  laugh  at 
this,  who  are  exactly  like  this  boy;  for, 
like  him,  they  say  their  prayers,  but  never 
pray.  I  have  somewhere  read  of  an  old 
man,  who  often  said  that  he  never  went 
to  bed  without  saying  over  the  prayer 
his  mother  taught  him,  when,  a  little 
child,  he  knelt  every  night  at  her  knee. 

One  Sunday  he  was  in  a  Sunday-school 
listening,  and  a  teacher  asked  his  class 
what  praying  meant.  One  bright  little 
fellow  answered :  "  It's  just  begging  God." 
The  old  man  started;  he  never  thought 
of  that  before — he  went  home  still  think- 
ing; he  fell  on  his  knees,  and  this  time 


THE  TWO  PRAYERS.  119 

jhe  did  not  say  the  same  words.  With 
tears  dropping  down,  and  a  trembling 
!  voice,  he  confessed  that  he  had  never 
truly  prayed,  and  begged  forgiveness  for 
i  Christ's  sake.  After  that,  he  spent  the 
irest  of  his  life  in  going  about  to  Sunclay- 
;  schools  and  meetings,  and  everywhere  he 
would  say:  "This  is  the  old  man  who 
\said  his  prayers  for  seventy  years,  and 
jnever  prayed !" 

But  it  is  not  only  of  late  there  have 
been  these  people  who  said  prayers,  and 
did  not  pray,  Jesus  when  He  was  in 
ithis  world,  saw  just  such  people,  and  one 
day  He  told  a  story  about  this  way  of 
isaying  prayers.  This  is  the  story  He 
told : 

Two  men  went  up  to  the  temple  to 
pray;  one  was  a  Pharisee,  a  rich  Jew, 
who  wore  a  handsome  trailing  robe,  and 
walked  with  a  slow  step,  and.  had  a  long, 
solemn  face,  as  if  he  were  very  good  and 
holy.  He  stood  up  in  the  temple,  pro- 
bably looking  about  him  to  see  if  the 
people  around  did  not  watch  him  as  he 


120  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

stood  up  so  straight  and  grand,  with  his 
solemn  face.  Then  he  began :  "  God,  I 
thank  Thee ;  I  am  not  as  other  men  are ; 
or  even  as  this  poor  man  here."  Then 
he  mentioned  some  of  the  mean  wicked 
things  which  he  was  too  proud  to  be  seen 
doing,  and  then  he  told  God  what  good  ! 
things  he  did ;  that  he  fasted  twice-  in  a 
week,  and  paid  part  of  all  his  wealth  for 
taxes  toward  the  temple. 

Now,  notice  this  prayer.  He  does  not 
ask  God  for  a  single  thing ;  he  does  not 
thank  Him  for  any  mercy;  only  boasts 
that  he  is  not  like  the  poor  man  near  by. 
He  need  not  have  told  God  so  boastfully 
what  he  did  or  what  he  did  not,  for  He 
knew  very  well  every  action  and  every 
thought ;  and  so  it  seems  there  was  very 
little  praying  about  it,  only  a  proud,  im- 
pudent speech. 

The  other  was  a  poor  man:  he  stood 
afar  off,  not  on  the  high  step  where  the 
Pharisee  was,  but  in  an  humble  place ;  he 
dared  not  look  up,  but  beat  his  hands, 
upon  his  breast,  and  said :  "  God  be  mer- 


THE  POOR  MAN.  121 

ciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  "Was  not  that,  too, 
a  very  little  prayer?  —  but  it  meant  a 
great  deal.  He,  too,  told  God  what  he 
was,  but  with  sorrowful  voice  and  down- 
cast eye,  called  himself  a  sinner.  He 
begged  for  mercy,  and  implied  as  plainly 
|as  if  he  had  talked  half  an  hour,  that  he 
knew  God  could  be  merciful ;  he  knew 
he  needed  mercy,  and  he  believed  God 
would  hear  his  cry  and  *  answer  his 
prayer. 


11 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"teach    us    to    prat." 

The  little*  company  who  loved  Jesus 
and  spent  all  their  time  with  Him,  one 
day  asked  Him  to  teach  them  to  pray. 
First,  He  told  them  how  they  should  not 
pray.  They  were  not  to  he  like  the 
Pharisees,  who  used  to  stand  on  the  cor- 
ners of  the  streets,  and  pray  aloud,  to  be 
heard  "by  the  people,  so  they  should  think 
them  very  holy;  but  they  should  go 
where  none  but  God  can  see,  and  pray  to 
Him.  They  were  not  to  say  vain  words 
over  and  over,  as  the  heathen  do,  for  they 
think  they  will  be  heard  for  their  much 
speaking.  The  poor  man's  prayer,  which 
was  most  acceptable  to  God,  was  only 
seven  words ;  so  it  is  not  our  many  words 


OUR  FATHER  IN  HEAVEN  123 

which  are  prayer.  Then  they  were  not  to 
have  on  a  long  sad  face,  which  is  only  put 
on  like  a  mask  to  cover  a  foolish  heart. 
Jesns  then  taught  them  this  prayer : 

"  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hal- 
•  lowed  be  thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come. 
Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as  it  is  in 
heaven.  Give  us  this  day,  our  daily 
bread.  And  forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we 
forgive  our  debtors.  And  lead  us  not  into 
temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil :  for 
thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and 
the  glory,  forever." 

This  prayer  every  child  should  learn, 
and  repeat  every  day,  and  not  only  say 
over  these  words,  but  understand  what 
they  mean. 

Do  you  not  think  a  child  who  every 
morning  began  the  day  by  talking  to  his 
Father  in  heaven  would  try  to  remember 
that  he  was  God's  child  \  would  not  the 
name  of  his  dear  Father  in  heaven  seem 
holy  to  him  \  would  he  not  do  what  he 
could  for  His  blessed  kingdom  to  come 
on  earth  \     Suppose  he  was  sick  or  poor 


124  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

yet  if  lie  said  every  morning,  "  Thy  will 
"be  done,"  would  it  not  help  him  to  bear 
all  his  troubles,  remembering  that  there 
is  after  this  life  a  heaven,  where  it  is  our 
Father's  will  that  His  children  should  be 
free  from  all  want  and  suffering  \  If 
poor,  would  he  not  ask  for  daily  bread, 
believing  that  Grod  would  take  care  of 
him  ? 

There  was  once  a  poor  widow,  who 
with,  two  little  children  lived  in  an  old 
cottage.  She  was* a  good  woman,  and 
had  taught  her  children  to  trust  in  God ; 
but  they  had  become  so  poor,  that  one 
night  they  all  went  to  bed  without  any 
supper.  The  children  soon  fell  asleep, 
but  the  mother  was  so  distressed  she 
could  not  rest. 

Her  tears  soaked  the  pillow  where  she 
laid  her  head,  tired  out  with  trying  to 
think  of  some  way  to  get  work  to  feed 
her  hungry  children ;  but  she  remember- 
ed the  promise :  "  I  will  preserve  thy 
fatherless  children ;  let  thy  widows  trust 
in  me." 


THE  POOR  WIDOW.  125 

Early  in  the  morning  the  little  boy 
awoke,  and  said :  "  Oh !  I  am  so  hungry." 
His  mother  told  him  that  they  mnst  trust 
in  their  heavenly  Father,  so  the  little  boy 
repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer,  as  he  did 
every  morning.  When  he  came  to  the 
line,  "  Give  ns  this  day,  onr  daily  bread," 
he  said,  "  O  mother !  that  prayer  was 
made  for  ns,"  and  he  repeated  it  over  and 
over  again. 

His  mother  told  him  they  mnst  trnst  in 
God,  and  He  certainly  wonld  not  let  them 
starve,  and  she  wrapped  the  bed-clothes 
closely  around  him,  for  they  had  no  fire. 
Every  little  while  he  would  raise  up  his 
head,  and  looking  out,  say,  "  Mother,  has 
God  sent  any  bread  yet  ?"  and  she,  her 
heart  almost  failing  her,  would  say :  "  No, 
my  child,  but  He  will."  She  sat  down  to 
watch  the  sleeping  little  girl,  fearing 
every  moment  lest  she  should  wake  and 
cry  with  hunger. 

Just   then  there  was   a  knock  at  the 
door,  and   a   ruddy   farmer   stepped   in. 
"  Mrs.  Brown,"  said  he, "  our  hired  woman 
11* 


126  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

is  sick,  and  my  wife  thought,  may  be  you 
would  come  and  work  for  us  for  a  few  days. 
I'll  bring  you  home  every  evening ;  here's 
a  basketful  she  sent  for  the  children,  as 
you  wouldn't  have  time  to  cook  any 
thing  for  them." 

He  looked  at  the  cold  hearth  with  only 
the  embers  of  the  last  stick,  and  telling 
the  widow  he  would  call  for  her  in  half 
an  hour,  as  he  went  away  he  looked  at 
the  empty  wood-shed  by  the  door,. 

When  the  widow  and  her  children  saw 
the  generous  loaf,  and  the  buttered  rolls, 
and  the  well-cooked  ham  the  farmer's 
good  wife  had  sent,  they  did  not  forget 
to  thank  God  for  hearing  their  prayers. 
Dickey  worked  hard  all  day  piling  up 
the  load  of  wood  the  generous  farmer  un- 
loaded at  the  cottage-door,  and  when 
another  night  came,  their  hearts  were  fall 
of  gratitude  that  they  had  received  both 
food  and  labor. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"THOU   SHALT   HAVE   NO   OTHER   GODS   BEFORE   ME." 

ThPwEE  thousand  years  ago,  a  large  com- 
pany of  people  were  travelling  through 
the  wilderness  on  a  long  journey  with 
Moses  for  their  leader.  Throngh  the  day 
a  pillar  of  clond  moved  before  them,  and 
at  night  it  became  a  pillar  of  fire ;  and  in 
this  way  God  directed  their  footsteps. 

At  one  time  they  were  all  encamped 
aronnd  a  high  mountain,  the  top  of  which 
seemed  covered  with  clouds,  and  through 
the  thick  darkness,  smoke  and  fire  went 
up  like  the  smoke  of  a  furnace,  and  the 
whole  mountain  trembled.  Then  they 
heard  a  voice,  loud  and  clear,  like  the 
sound  of  a  trumpet,  calling  Moses  up  into 
the  mountain.     God  then  gave  Moses  the 


128  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

Ten  Commandments,  and  lest  they  might 
be  forgotten,  He  wrote  them  with  His 
own  finger  on  two  tables  of  stone. 

The  first  fonr  of  these  ten  rules,  contain 
onr  duty  to  Him.  The  first  is  to  keep  us 
from  loving  supremely  and  worshipping 
any  thing  but  the  one  true  God.  There 
never  yet  has  been  a»  nation  discovered 
who  had  not  an  idea  of  some  superior 
power.  Some  have  worshipped  the  sun, 
some  the  moon,  the  water,  or  some  ani- 
mal which  they  imagine  is  holy  and  pow- 
erful. These  poor  people  have  not  the 
light  of  the  Bible  to  shine  in  their  dark  i 
hearts,  or  they  would  not  so  break  the 
first  commandment.  But  we  just  as  of- 
ten break  this  rule  as  these  poor  heathen. 
"Whatever  we  love  with  all  onr  hearts,  we 
allow  to  take  the  place  which  we  should 
give  to  Him  who  alone  is  the  Lord.  Many 
people  make  it  the  chief  object  of  their 
life  to  make  money,  and  they  worship 
their  wealth.  Some  seem  to  live  only 
for  pleasure ;  but  whatever  it  is,  whether 
our  friends  or  our  home,  money  or 
pleasure,  we  break  this  first   command. 


IDOLS.  129 

In  the  second  we  are  forbidden  to 
worship  an  image  of  any  thing,  in  place 
of  praying  to  or  loving  any  thing  but 
the  one  holy  and  true  God.  Many 
people  kneel  down  to  little  images,  made 
of  wood  or  stone,  sometimes  of  gold  and 

\  silver,  and   pray   to   them.      Sometimes 

!  they  have  immensejdols,  which  they  wor- 
ship with  a  faithfulness  which  ought  to 
make  us   ashamed.     They  will   do    any 

5  thing  which  they  believe  will  gratify 
these  idols.  They  will  cut#  themselves 
with  knives,  or  put  sharp  hooks  through 

:  their   flesh,  for  they   suppose   this   will 

)  gratify  their  god.  They  throw  their 
little  children  in  the  river,  and  listen  to 

;  their  frightful  cries  when  the  crocodiles 
come  to  swallow  them;  and  they  will 
hang  them  in   a  basket  on  a  tree,  and 

\  watch  while  the  ravenous  vultures  fly  to 
them,  and  pluck  out  their  eyes,  and  eat 
the  delicate  flesh,  wdiile  the  mother  will 
stand  by  and  rejoice  that  she  has  done 

j  what  will  please  the  dumb  idol. 

At  the  time  the  Commandments  were 


130  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

given,  Moses  remained  in  the  mountain 
hidden  from  the  people  by  the  clouds  and 
fire  so  long,  they  did  not  know  what  had 
become  of  him.  They  gathered  around 
his  brother  Aaron,  and  asked  him  to 
make  them  something  which  they  could 
worship.  He  told  them  to  give  him  all 
their  ear-rings  and  bracelets,  every  thing 
which  was  made  of  gold.  He  melted  it 
and  made  it  in  the  form  of  a  calf,  and 
built  an  altar  to  put  it  on. 

After  being  in  the  mountain  with  God 
for  forty  days  and  nights,  Moses  came 
down,  bringing  with  him  the  two  tables 
of  stone.  Before  he  reached  the  people 
he  heard  the  sound  of  many  voices  in 
singing ;  he  came  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
then  he  saw  the  crowd  around  a  calf  of 
gold,  and  they  were  singing  and  dancing 
before  it. 

Strange,  that  when  they  knew  their 
leader  was  with  God,  receiving  the  laws 
which  they  knew  they  should  obey, 
strange  that  they  could  thus  wickedly 
worship  a  god  of  gold.     Even  the  meek- 


THE  BROKEN  TABLES.  131 

est  man  who  ever  lived,  was  so  angry, 
that  he  threw  down  the  two  tables  of 
stone,  and  dashed  them  in  pieces  against 
the  side  of  the  mountain. 

But  these  Commandments  were  not  to 
perish  by  the  anger  of  man,  for  God  call- 
ed Moses  again  into  the  mountain,  and 
gave  him  two  more  tables  of  stone,  con- 
taining the  same  Ten  Commandments, 
which  from  that  time  until  now,  it  has 
been  the  duty  of  man  to  obey. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"THOU  SHALT  NOT  TAKE  THE  NAME  OF  THE  LORD  THY 
GOD  IN  VAIN." 

If  you  have  a  dear  friend  who  has 
always  loved  you,  and  given  you  precious 
gifts,  would  you  "be  likely  to  sj)eak  his 
name  with  disrespect  ?  "We  have  learned 
God  is  wise  and  great,  holy  and  good; 
that  He  is  love ;  that  He  has  given  His 
Son  to  die  for  us,  and  He  ever  watches 
over  us  in  mercy ;  surely,  then,  we  ought 
never  lightly  to  speak  His  name.  We 
trust  these  little  lips  that  have  learned  to 
repeat  so  many  blessed  verses,  will  never 
take  that  Holy  name  in  vain;  for  He 
tells  us  He  "  will  not  hold  him  guiltless 
who  taketh  His  name  in  vain." 

There  is  no  sin  so  useless,  so  inexcus- 


SWEARING.  133 

able  as  swearing,  and  yet  how  many 
people  become  so  in  the  habit  of  it,  that 
almost  every  hour  is  blackened  by  the 
sin.  Dear  children,  remember  to  love 
that  name,  for  if  you  constantly  utter  it  in 
prayer  and  keep  your  hearts  warm  with 
love  to  Him ;  if  you  will  realize  the  ter- 
rible sin  of  using  God's  name  idly,  or  in 
anger,  you  will  never  take  the  first  oath. 
A  person  who  is  in  the  habit  of  praying 
to  this  Holy  God,  could  not  use  His 
name  except  in  love  and  reverence. 

Swearers  are  those  who  never  intend  to 
pray,  but  sometimes  in  their  oaths  they 
do  say  some  terrible  prayers  to  God, 
which  if  He  answered  as  soon  as  He 
heard  them,  you  would  see  men  and  boys 
falling  dead  where  they  stand  on  the 
street-corners,  swearing  and  calling  down 
God's  wrath  and  curses  upon  them.  We 
%would  not  dare  to  tell  these  innocent 
little  children  of  the  fearful  things  which 
these  swearers  really  say  to  God;  we 
trust  these  pure  lips  will  never  be  stained 
with  such  wickedness,  and  that  you  never 
12 


134  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

may  hear  such  words  without  thanking 
God  that  you  have  been  taught  better 
than  to  swear. 

God  has  given  us  some  terrible  ex- 
amples to  serve  as  warnings  to  us.  Some 
years  ago,  there  was  a  steamboat  captain, 
who  was  just  starting  from  one  of  the 
"Western  cities  to  make  the  first  trip  to 
New-Orleans  on  a  new  steamboat.  It 
was  filled  with  passengers,  and  the 
wharves  all  around  crowded  with  people, 
watching  to  see  the  new  boat  start  on  her 
trial-trip.  All  was  excitement — a  band  of 
music  playing  gay  marches,  and  the  flags 
proudly  waving  in  the  breeze  as  the 
wheels  began  to  turn  in  the  water ;  the 
boat  moved  from  her  moorings,  and  pass- 
ing  the  city,  went  up  the  river  a  little 
distance  to  display  its  graceful  and  swift 
motion,  then,  turning  around,  came  again 
in  sight  of  the  assembled  crowd,  and 
went  on  its  downward  way. 

Just  then,  a  smaller  steamboat  quietly 
moved  from  the  wharf,  and  went  side  by 
side  with  the  new  boat.     It  soon  became 


TEE  CAPTAIN.  135 

evident  that  they  intended  to  make  a 
trial  of  speed.  Some  one  called  the  cap- 
tain's attention  to  it,  and  he,  angry  that 
another  boat  should  dare  to  rival  his, 
said  with  a  terrible  oath  in  the  name  of 
Grod  :  "  I'll  win  the  race  or  die  !"  Scarce- 
ly had  he  uttered  the  words  when  there 
was  a  terrible  sound  —  the  boiler  had 
burst !  Persons  were  thrown  on  the 
wharves  and  buildings  near,  terribly  in- 
jured, and  the  wrater  was  strewn  with 
dead  bodies  scattered  among  the  floating 
pieces  of  the  boat. 

Where  was  the  swearing  captain? 
God  did  not  hold  him  guiltless,  but  took 
him  at  his  word.  The  same  air  that  re- 
ceived his  wicked  oath,  took  his  shattered 
body  as  it  was  hurled  away  by  the  ex- 
plosion, and  his  bead,  completely  severed 
from  his  body,  was  found  three  or  four 
squares  off  in  the  city. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

REMEMBER  THE  SABBATH-DAY,  TO  KEEP  IT  HOLY. 

Theee  are  some  pecyple  in  the  world, 
who  think  Snnday  a  very  dull  day,  and 
would  be  glad  if  it  came  only  once  a 
year.  But  the  dear  children  who  come  to 
Sunday-school  ought  to  think  it  the  hap. 
piest  day  of  the  seven.  It  is  not  a  day 
to  put  on  a  long  face  and  look  very  sad 
and  solemn,  as  the  Pharisees  used  to  do ; 
"but  a  day  to  be  happy  and  enjoy  the 
blessings  around  us.  This  is  older  than 
any  other  commandment ;  for  in  the 
beautiful  garden  of  Eden,  before  this 
earth  had  witnessed  a  single  sin,  God 
blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  by  His  own 
example,  made  it  a  day  of  rest. 

How  tired  and  weary  we  should  all  be, 


REST.  137 

if  there  was  never  any  rest,  and  in  this 
busy  world,  every  body  was  driving  on 
full  of  care  and  anxieties  day  after  day. 
We  should  thank  our  kind  Father  that 
He  has  wisely  given  us  one  day  in  every 
seven  to  rest.  Then  the  father  forgets 
his  labor  and  his  anxious  thoughts  about 
business;  the  ever-busy  mother  lets  the 
hands  that  are  never  idle,  be  unemployed ; 
the  sewing  that  is  never  done,  is  out  of 
sight ;  the  children,  through  the  week 
noisy  and  restless,  intent  upon  school  or 
play,  or  their  own  many  plans,  gather 
quietly  in  the  family  circle,  and  sing 
sacred  songs,  or  read  good  books,  and  in 
happiness  and  quiet  and  peace,  spend  the 
blessed  day. 

So,  if  it  was  only  for  our  own  good  and 
comfort,  we  ought  to  remember  the  Sab- 
bath-day ;  and  when  we  know  that  it  is 
the  will  of  that  God  who  has  crowned 
our  lives  with  blessings,  it  seems  very 
little  for  us  to  give  Him  one  seventh 
part  of  our  time. 

But  there  is  another  and  greater  reason. 
12* 


138  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

It  was  in  the  early  hours  of  a  beautiful 
quiet  morning,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  that  two  angels,  in  shining  gar- 
ments, came  down  from  heaven,  and  roll- 
ed away  a  great  stone  from  the  door  of  a 
tomb,  and  some  One  who  had  been 
buried  there,  rose  up  and  left  the  grave. 

He  soon  appeared  to  His  friends  who 
were  mourning  for  His  death;  and  then 
He  showed  them  His  hands  and  His  feet, 
bearing  the  print  of  the  cruel  nails,  and 
they  understood  that  it  was  He  who  had 
told  them  that  aHe  must  suffer  many 
things  and  die,  but  that  He  would  rise 
again  on  the  third  day."  That  was  a  joy- 
ful day  to  the  Disciples ;  at  night,  when 
they  were  all  together  praising  and  thank- 
ing God  that  their  beloved  Master  had 
triumphed  over  death  and  the  grave,  He 
suddenly  appeared  in  their  midst,  and 
they  heard  the  same  gentle  tones  of  that 
voice  that  had  so  often  taught  them,  say- 
ing :  '■  Peace  be  unto  you." 

The  last  time  before  His  death  that 
they  were  all  together  with  Him,  was  at 


THE  DAY  THE  LORD  AROSE.  139 

supper  the  night  before  He  was  crucified, 
when  His  heart  was  bowed  down  with 
anguish.  Now,  as  they  were  eating,  He 
appeared  to  them,  and  stretched  out  the 
pierced  hands  in  blessing,  and  took  some 
food  with  them. 

This  was  the  evening  of  that  same 
first  day  of  the  week,  and  ever  since  then, 
Christians  have  loved  the  Sabbath  be- 
cause it  is  the  day  the  Lord  arose.  Is  it 
not  a  day  to  be  happy  ?  Unless  we  learn 
to  enjoy  this  day  here,  we  can  not  be 
happy  in  heaven,  for  there  we  are  to  see 
Him  as  He  is,  and  praise  Him  forever  in 
one  eternal  and  blessed  Sabbath. 


DUTIES  TO  PARENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

HONOR  THY  FATHER  AND  MOTHER. 

A  few  weeks  ago,  one  bright  sunny 
Sunday  morning,  a  minister  was  sent  for 
to  go  and  see  a  young  man  who  was  in 
great  distress.  He  went  immediately 
with  the  messenger,  down  one  street 
after  another,  till  they  reached  the  jail. 
They  entered  the  yard,  the  keeper  un- 
bolted the  great  iron  door,  and  admitted 
them  to  the  gloomy  -  looking  building ; 
then  he  unlocked  another  smaller  door, 
which,  as  soon  as  the  minister  was  ad- 
mitted, swung  heavily  back  on  its  iron 
hinges,  and  the  great  bolt  sprang  to  its 
place  in  the  rough  stone  wall. 

Within  this  little  cell  was  a  young 
man,  apparently  not   more  than   twenty 


m  THE  JAIL.  141 

years  of  age.  The  minister  expressed 
surprise  at  finding  so  young  a  person  in 
such  a  place ;  when  he  replied :  "  I  have 
been  listening  to  the  Sabbath  bells  this 
morning,  and  it  seems  but  a  little  while 
since  I  was  an  innocent,  happy  Sunday- 
school  scholar.  If  I  had  continued  there, 
I  never  should  have  come  to  this  wretched 
place.  One  Sunday  morning  an  evil  com- 
panion came  for  me  to  go  and  spend  the 
morning  in  fishing.  My  mother  told  me 
to  go  to  Sunday-school,  but  I  deceived 
her,  and  went  with  this  bad  boy.  It  was 
the  first  time  I  ever  deceived  her  —  oh ! 
that  it  had  been  the  last. 

"  Sunday  after  Sunday  I  still  deceived 
her,  until  I  had  learned  to  be  so  wicked 
I  had  no  more  love  for  Sunday-school, 
and  but  little  for  her. 

"My  father  was  dead,  and  I  did  not 
want  to  be  governed  by  any  body. 

"  O  my  wretched,  hard  heart !  that 
could  ever  have  been  willing  to  leave 
that  gentle  mother,  whose  prayers  seem 
ringing  in  my  ears  even  now,  and  I  seem 


142  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

to  see  lier  tearful  eyes  as  she  begged  me 
to  forsake  ray  evil  companions  and  listen 
to  her  wishes  and  her  counsels.  But  I 
went  on,  until  in  a  moment  of  rage,  under 
the  influence  of  drink,  I  committed  the 
fearful  crime  which  brought  me  here. 
My  poor  mother's  heart  I  had  broken, 
and  she  died,  sorrowing  for  her  wicked, 
erring  son.  Go  to  Sunday-school  scholars, 
and  tell  them  a  voice  from  the  jail  warns 
them  to  obey  their  parents." 

We  have  seen  that  the  first  four  of 
these  commands  show  us  our  duty  to 
God ;  the  rest  show  us  our  duty  to  our 
fellow-men. 

The  first  of  these,  "  Honor  thy  father 
and  mother,"  seems  particularly  made  for 
children;  for  as  soon  as  they  can  tell 
right  from  wrong,  they  can  learn  to  obey. 
It  is  a  duty  to  God,  for  He  has  given  you 
your  kind  parents  to  watch  over  and 
take  care  of  you,  and  He  it  is  who  com- 
mands you  to  obey  them,  and  if  you  love 
Him  you  will  gladly  do  what  is  well- 
pleasing  to  Him. 


LOVING   CARE.  143 

Then  it  is  your  duty  to  your  parents, 
to  reward  all  their  love  by  obeying  them 
in  all  things.  You  never  can  know  the 
care  and  anxiety  they  have  felt  for  you. 
How  they  watched  your  cradle  when  you 
were  a  helpless  baby,  how  your  mother, 
night  after  night,  bent  over  your  pillow, 
herself  worn  out  by  your  fretful  cries. 
Then,  as  you  grow  older,  with  what  ten- 
derness does  she  watch  your  childish 
pleasures  and  desires  —  how  your  kind 
father  provides  for  every  want.  And 
when  you  begin  to  show  that  you  have  a 
wicked  heart,  an  angry  temper,  and  a 
disobedient  will,  what  pain  you  inflict 
upon  those  loving  hearts  ! 

When  at  night  you  are  quietly  sleep- 
ing, you  little  know  how  many  anxious 
sighs  are  breathed  for  you,  how  many 
tears  of  sorrow  when  you  have  done 
wrong,  how  many  prayers  go  up  from 
your  bedside,  that  your  sins  may  be  for- 
given, and  that  you  may  be  a  Christian 
child,  and  grow  up  to  be  good  and  useful. 

To  be  obedient,  is  to  have  respect  to  all 


144  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

the  wishes  of  your  parents,  to  honor  them 
not  merely  from  fear  of.  punishment,  but 
to  be  a  loving,  true-hearted  child,  yielding 
a  ready  and  cheerful  obedience.  Children 
sometimes  think  it  is  hard  they  must  sub- 
mit and  can  not  do  as  they  wish;  but 
they  forget  that  unless  they  learn  to  obey 
their  parents,  they  can  not  obey  God ; 
unless  in  childhood  we  learn  to  yield  per- 
fect obedience,  it  will  be  harder  still  in 
later  years  to  give  our  unrestrained  wills 
to  God,  who  always  claims  our  best  serv. 
ices. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


FOR    ALL    THE    LAW   IS    FULFILLED    IN    ONE    WORD LOVE 

THY    NEIGHBOR    AS    THYSELF." 


A  lawyePw  once  asked  Jesus  to  tell 
him  Which  is  the  great  commandment 
in  the  law  i"  He  replied  :  "  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  This 
embraces  them  all. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  is  the  sixth  com- 
mandment, and  the  Bible  tells  us  that 
whoever  hates  his  brother  is  a  murderer ; 
but  if  we  loved  them  as  we  "do  ourselves, 
no  unwind-  or  impure  thoughts  of  others 
could  ever  enter  our  hearts.  We  should 
wish  them  the  same  happiness  which  we 
desire  for  ourselves,  and  could  never 
13 


146  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

strike  an  angry  blow,  or  do  and  .say  any 
thing  which  could  inflict  pain. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  is  another  com- 
mand which  we  could  not  violate,  if  the 
wish  to  protect  another's  rights  was  as 
strong  as  the  desire  to  take  care  of  our 
own  property.  But  it  is  stealing  to  take 
any  thing,  no  matter  how  trifling,  which 
is  not  our  own.  Children  are  apt  to  for- 
get this;  they  would  be  very  angry  if 
any  one  should  call  them  a  thief  ;  but 
yet  they  would  take  little  things,  and  use 
and  keep  them,  thinking  it  no  harm. 

The  last  commandment  teaches  us  that 
it  is  a  sin  even  to  wish  that  the  posses- 
sions of  others  were  our  own.  No  one 
ever  stole  who  did  not  first  covet.  They 
wTill  look  with  admiring  eyes  upon  some- 
thing they  see,  and  begin  to  wish  it  was 
theirs,  and  try  to  plan  how  they  might 
get  it,  until  at  last  they  think :  u  Well,  I 
want  it  so  much  there  can't  be^ny  harm 
in  taking  such  a  little  thing."  ]STo  one 
ever  commits  one  sin,  and  then  stops; 
it  is  exactly  like  a  flight  of  easy-going 


STEALING.  147 

stairs.  At  the  start  they  hesitate  and 
wonder,  and  take  one  step  down ;  then 
it  is  easier  to  take  the  next ;  and  so  on 
and  on  in  the  downward  course.  The 
young  man  in  the  jail  took  his  first  step 
when  he  disobeyed  his  mother,  and  did 
not  go  to  Sunday-school;  then  he  went  on 
down,  still  farther  down,  until  he  at  last 
reached  the  lowest  fearful  place,  where 
there  was  a  gallows  for  him  to  be  hung, 
because  he  had  broken  the  command: 
"  Thou  shalt  not  HH"  We  trust  that  not 
one  of  the  little  hands  which  hold  this 
book,  will  ever  have  upon  them  the  fear- 
ful stain  of  a  brother's  blood,  or  be  guilty 
of  taking  what  is  not  their  own. 

Children  are  apt  to  take  little  things 
which  belong  to  their  mother  or  their 
playmates,  thinking  it  is  so  little  it  will 
make  no  difference;  but  that  is- the  way 
that  wickedness  begins,  by  little  acts  at 
first,  and  then  very  slowly  and  very  sure- 
ly goes  on  to  great  sins.  But  in  the  eye 
of  God,  he  who  steals  an  apple  from  his 
neighbor's  tree,  or  a  top  from  a  playmate, 


148  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

or  hides  another's  marbles  in  his  pocket, 
is  just  as  guilty  of  stealing  as  the  raid- 
night  robber  who  enters  a  house  and 
takes  away  the  silver  Jie  finds  there.  And 
we  may  steal  in  other  ways  than  by 
taking  actual  possessions.  The  little  gir] 
at  school,  who  by  deception  keeps  the 
highest  place  another  deserves  to  have, 
not  only  deceives,  but  steals  the  credit 
belonging  to  another;  while  one  who 
conceals  the  good  actions  of  another,  or 
hides  their  virtues,  really  robs  them  of 
their  good  name. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 


"THOU    SHALT    NOT     BEAR     FALSE    WITNESS     AGA  NST     THY 
NEIGHBOR." 

The  first  sin  which  was  ever  committed 
was  a  lie  /  it  was  not  false  witness  against 
a  neighbor,  but  against  God. 

In  that  beautiful  garden  where  all  was 
peace  and  joy  and  beauty,  Satan  entered 
and  with  a  lie  on  his  lips,  persuaded  Eve 
to  disobey  God.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  all  the  sorrow  that  has  darkened  our 
beautiful  world  from  that  day  until  now. 
God  hates  all  deceit,  and  every  thing 
which  is  not  perfect  truth,  and  He  es- 
pecially commands  us  never  to  tell  what 
is  false  of  our  neighbor.  It  is  mean  and 
ungenerous  to  tell  what  is  true  of  others 
if  it  is  any  thing  to  their  discredit,  and 


150  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

we  are  warned  not  to  be  tofe-bearers,  and 
again :  "  Speak  not  evil  one  of  another." 
But  to  charge  them  with  what  is  not 
time  and  speak  falsely  of  them,  is  the 
meanest  and  most  hateful  form  of  decep- 
tion. 

In  a  school  of  twenty  girls,  the  teacher 
had  promised  a  prize  at  the  end  of  the 
term  to  the  one  who  had  "been  most  per- 
fect in  scholarship  and  in  deportment.  It 
was  nearly  the  close  of  the  school,  and 
they  were  all  trying  very  hard  for  the 
prize,  but  there  were  two  girls  who  in 
scholarship  were  so  nearly  equal,  that  it 
seemed  doubtful  which  would  receive  it. 

Mattie  G ,  the  oldest  and  largest  one 

in  school,  was  a  proud  girl,  who  seemed 
to  expect  that  every  body  must  yield  to 
her,  and  because  of  her  wealth  and  her 
beauty  many  of  them  did  yield  to  her  in- 
fluence.    She  was  a  fine  scholar,  and  was 

admired,  but  not  loved  like  Nellie  R , 

a  modest,  retiring  girl,  whose  pale  cheek 
was  flushed  in  an  instant  by  an  approv- 
ing word  or  smile.     She  was  the   only 


THE  MISSING  PRIZE.  151 

child  of  a  poor  widow,  and  had  studied 
•hard  to  excel,  for  she  hoped  to  become  a 
teacher,  and  thus  support  her  feeble 
mother.  Day  after  day  passed,  and  these 
two  girls  were  so  nearly  together,  that  it 
seemed  as  if  no  difference  could  be  dis- 
covered. Nellie  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
coming  early  in  the  morning,  and  arrang- 
ing and  dusting  the  room,  and  thus  paid 
part  of  her  school  bills. 

One  morning  the  teacher  asked  who 
had  unlocked  her  desk.  All  looked  sur- 
prised, but  there  was  no  reply.  The 
teacher  repeated  that  some  one  had  open- 
ed her  desk,  and  that  something  valuable 
was  gone.  All  looked  amazed  and 
breathless    with     silence    until     Mattie 

G spoke,   and   said:    "Let   all   our 

desks  be  searched.  We  all  came  in  to- 
gether this  morning  but  Nellie,  who  was 
arranging  your  desk  when  I  came  in." 

Every  eye  fell  upon  Nellie,  who  blushed 
at  the  notice  thus  attracted  to  her.  The 
teacher  went  around  and  looked  in  every 
desk  —  last  of  all  she  came  to   Nellie's, 


152  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

and  there,  wrapped  in  paper,  was  the  in- 
tended prize — a  Bible,  bound  in  blue  vel- 
vet with  a  golden  clasp.  A  sigh  of  sur- 
prised sorrow  seemed  to  come  from  every 
heart,  as  the  teacher  held  it  up,  and  said : 
"  Nellie,  what  does  this  mean  V  The 
poor    girl   made    no   reply,   but  Mattie 

G spoke  again.     "  Yes,  I  said  there 

was  nobody  here  this  morning  but  Nellie, 
and  when  we  came  in  I  heard  her  lock 
your  desk,  and  then  she  ran  to  hers." 
At  that  moment  an  assistant  teacher 

went  up  to  Mattie  G ,  and  held  up  a 

large  key.  "  Tell  the  young  ladies,  Mat- 
tie,  what  you  did  with  this  key !"  The 
look  of  triumph  was  changed  to  one  of 

confusion  as  Mattie  Gr sank  back  in 

her  chair,  and  the  teacher  went  on: 
"Last  evening  I  remained  after  school, 
and  sat  in  the  little  room  until  quite  late, 
looking  over  the  writing-books.  While 
there,  I  heard  some  one  unlock  this  outer 
door,  and,  through  the  glass  door  to  the 
little  room,  I  saw  Mattie  come  in.  She 
went  to  your  desk,  and  unlocking  it,  took 


THE  HIDDEN  KEY.  153 

something  out,  I  did  not  know  what,  and 
went  over  to  Nellie's  desk.  Then  she 
looked  about,  as  if  to  see  if  any  body 
was  watching,  locked  the  outer  door/and 
placed  this  key  under  the  door-step." 

In  what  shame  and  disgrace  Mattie 
G was  expelled  from  that  school,  be- 
cause she  had  so  wickedly  been  a  false 
witness  against  her  companion.  God  did 
not  let  her  go  unpunished;  and  sweet 
Nelly  ever  after  found  peace  and  comfort 
within  the  velvet  cover  and  the  golden 
clasp  of  her  precious  Bible. 


$f  TRUTH. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


In  tlie  early  history  of  the  Church  we 
find  that  its  members  spent  all  their  time 
together,  preaching  and  praying  and 
praising  God.  They  all  contributed  of 
their  property,  so  that  they  might  have 
enough  money  to  supply  their  wants,  for 
they  had  given  up  their  business  and 
daily  labors  to  devote  their  time  to  re- 
ligion. 

Among  those  who  had  joined  the  com- 
pany was  a  man  named  Ananias,  and 
Sapphira,  his  wife.  They  owned  a  piece 
of  land,  which  they  sold,  and  brought 
the  money  and  handed  it  to  the  Apostles ; 
but  God  enabled  Peter  to  know  the 
wicked  purpose  in  the  man's  heart.     Tie 


■    HOW  LYING  LIPS  WERE  STOPPED.     155 

had  in  reality  kept  back  for  himself  part 
of  the  money,  and  yet  pretended  that  he 
was  giving  all  to  the  Church.  Peter 
asked  why  he  had  so  deceived  them,  and 
said :  "  Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but 
unto  God."  In  an  instant  he  fell  dead  in 
the  spot  where  he  stood,  and  while  the 
people  all  looked  on  in  great  fear,  he  was 
taken  out  and  buried. 

After  a  while  his  wife  came  in,  not 
knowing  what  had  happened;  and  Peter 
said  to  her :  "  Tell  me  whether  ye  sold 
the  land  for  so  much  V  And  she  answer- 
ed :  "  Yes,  for  so  much."  Peter  said : 
"  How  is  it  that  ye  agreed  together  to 
tempt  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord?  Behold 
the  feet  of  them  which  have  buried  thy 
husband  are  at  the  door,  and  they  shall 
carry  thee  out."  Immediately  she  fell  at 
his  feet  and  died;  and  the  same  men 
who  had  just  returned  from  burying  her 
wretched  husband,  took  up  her  lifeless 
body  and  carried  it  away. 

Is  not  this  a  terrible  example  to  show 
us  that    "he   that    speaketh  lies    shall 


156  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

perish"  ?  Ananias  acted  a  lie  which  was 
a  fearfully  wicked  one,  for  he  wished  to 
rob  God  of  half  which  he  had  promised 
to  give  Him,  and  to  make  the  disciples 
believe  that  he  was  giving  all  the  money. 
Then  his  wife  repeated  the  lie  in  words, 
and  thus  they  both  perished,  to  be  re- 
membered as  long  as  the  Bible  lasts,  as 
warnings  to  us  that  "  lying  lips  shall  be 
put  to  silence." 

Children  never  begin  by  telling  such 
terrible  lies;  but  by  deceiving  in  little 
things,  by  shaking  the  head  when1  they 
do  not  exactly  dare  to  say  No !  because 
it  would  not  be  true,  and  they  are  not 
really  brave  enough  to  say  Yes,  when 
they  have  committed  a  fault.  The  only 
safe  path  is  the  pure,  strict  truth.  Never, 
by  look,  or  motion,  or  sign,  make  another 
to  believe  that  which  is  not  exactly  true. 

No  matter  what  you  have  done  that  is 
wrong,  a  lie  can  never  hide  it  from  God, 
nor  for  any  time  from  your  parents,  and 
there  is  no  sin  so  great  but  that  a  lie  to 
hide  it,  will  make  it  twice  as  bad.     It  is 


THE  LIGHT  OF  TRUTH.  157 

mean  and  cowardly  to  lie,  but  a  brave 
child  will  never  be  afraid  to  own  the 
truth.  A  liar  can  never  be  trusted  or 
loved ;.  he  will  grow  up  to  be  despised 
like  the  serpent  that  crawls  silently  in  the 
grass,  and  is  ready  at  any  time  to  spit  out 
his  deceitful  venom.  But  the  child  whose 
lips  only  utter  words  of  sure  honesty  will 
grow  up  loved  and  respected,  and  through 
his  beaming  eye  the  bright  truth  will 
shine  out  from  his  soul,  like  a  star,  whose 
clear  depths  give  back  to  whoever  looks, 
the  gleaming  rays  of  purity  and  truth. 
14 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

"  KEEP     THY     TONGUE     FROM     EYIL     AND     THY     LIPS     FROM 
SPEAKING    GUILE." 

If  we  all  loved  our  neighbors  as  our- 
selves, there  would  be  little  need  of  this 
warning ;  for  if  our  hearts  were  filled  with 
love  to  God,  and  love  to  man,  our  lips 
would  have  nothing  but  love  to  express. 
The  One  Perfect  Life,  which  is  our  pat- 
tern, was  not  only  a  life  of  love,  but  a  life 
which  was  never  blemished  by  one  un- 
kind or  angry  word.  One  of  His  follow- 
ers, who  was  among  those  first  called  to 
be  with  Him,  in  writing  of  Him  long 
after,  says  :  "  He  did  no  sin ;  neither  was 
guile  found  in  His  mouth." 

We  are  apt  to  think  words  are  trifles — 
they  are  but  empty  sound ;  we  say  much 


BY  THE  WELL-SIDE.  159 

and  mean  little,  and  soon  forget  it  all. 
But  every  little  word  mnst  mean  some- 
thing, and  has  its  influence  either  for 
good  or  evil.  A  pleasant  word,  a  gentle 
smile,  £an  bestow  much  happiness ;  while 
'a  bitter  look,  an  unkind  expression,  may 
fall  on  some  heart  where  it  will  cause 
sadness  and  sorrow  that  we  may  never 
know. 

I  expect  you  have  all  heard  the  story 
of  a  fairy,  who  found  a  young  girl  sitting 
by  a  well,  crying  bitterly.  She  laid  her 
hand  on  the  girl's  shoulder,  and  asked 
her  why  she  wept.  She  looked  up,  and 
was  surprised  to  find  a  beautiful  being 
by  her  side,  with  so  kind  a  face,  that  she 
told  her  all  her  troubles. 

It  seems  the  girl  had  not  a  very  happy 
home;  for  because  she  had  a  plain  face 
and  a  crooked  back,  her  mother  did  not 
love  her  as  she  did  a  more  beautiful 
sister.  They  made  her  work  very  hard, 
and  then  found  fault  with  her  all  the 
time.  The  fairy  seemed  to  understand 
the  case  exactly,  and  said  to  her:  "Ke« 


160  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

turn  kind  words  for  evil  ones,  and  you 
shall  have  your  reward." 

The  tearful  eyes  had  grown  bright 
with  wonder,  and  as  the  fairy  disappear- 
ed, the  girl  took  her  bucket  of  water  and 
returned  home.  As  usual,  she  was  met 
by  cross  words,  and  questioned  why  she 
had  been  gone  so  long.  She  made  some 
mild  reply,  and  as  she  spoke  a  beautiful 
diamond  fell  from  her  lips.  They  asked 
how  this  had  happened  ;  but  she  could 
only  tell  them  that  a  beautiful  fairy  had 
appeared  to  her.  And  while  she  told  all 
this,  jewels  and  pieces  of  gold  kept  drop- 
ping from  her  mouth. 

The  other  sister  was  anxious  to  receive 
such  good  fortune,  and  so  she  put  on  her 
most  beautiful  dress,  arranged  her  long 
curls,  and  took  her  seat  near  the  well. 
Soon  the  fairy  came,  and  after  she  had 
asked  her  to  bestow  on  her  some  gift,  the 
fairy  answered,  with  a  peculiar  smile : 
"  Go  home  and  do  as  you  always  have 
done,  and  you  shall  be  rewarded." 

She  hastened  home,  and  as  soon  as  she 


GEMS  AND    GOLD.  161 

spoke  to  her  sister,  a  hideous  worm 
measured  its  length  from  her  mouth. 
They  talked  on,  and  while  the  plain 
sister  picked  up  her-  newly  found  trea- 
sures of  gems  and  gold,  the  other  was 
trying  to  get  away  from  the  bugs  and 
worrns  which  crawled  from  her  lips.  The 
story  goes  on  to  tell  how  the  plain,  good 
sister  was  loved  by  every  body  for  her 
kind  words  and  generous  acts;  for  she 
became  rich  and  was  able  to  give  much 
to  the  poor:  how  the  other  became  so 
disgusting  that  no  one  could  endure  her 
presence. 

Now,  there  are  no  such  things  as  fairies, 
and  this  story  is  not  true ;  but  yet  it  is  a 
very  sweet  story,  and  teaches  us  a  useful 
lesson.  If  affectionate  words  were  jewels 
and  diamonds,  they  would  only  be  valu- 
able to  us  in  our  lifetime,  but  the  effect 
of  kind  words  will  last  long  after  we  are 
gone. 

And  yet  this  story  is  not  far  from  the 
truth  in  making  evil-speaking  so  hateful, 
and  kind  words  so  precious,  for  the  Bible 
14* 


162  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

says,  "The  tongue  of  the  just  is  as 
choice  silver ;"  and  in  another  place,  that : 
"A  word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples  of 
gold,  in  pictures  of  silver?' 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

"KEEP   THY   HEART   "WITH   ALL   DILIGENCE." 


It  will  be  in  vain  to  try  to  keep  the 
tongue  from  evil,  unless  the  heart  is  right, 
for  "  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart 
the  mouth  speaketh."  Suppose  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  your  father  should 
give  you  a  little  spot  of  ground,  that  you 
might  have  a  garden  of  your  own. 
Would  you  not  determine  to  bestow 
upon  it  the  greatest  care,  that  you  might 
succeed  in  producing  something  beautiful  ? 

In  the  first  place,  you  would  faithfully 
dig  up  the  ground,  and  if  you  could  not 
do  it  yourself,  you  would  get  the  gardener 
to  see  if  the  soil  was  good,  and  to  help 
you  to  make  it  just  right,  that  whatever 
you    planted  there    should    have   good 


164  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

ground  to  grow  in;  for  if  it  was  coarse 
gravel,  or  filled  with  stones,  or  wet,  heavy 
earth,  it  would  not  do  at  all  for  a  garden.   I 

Then  when  you  were  sure  the  ground 
was  prepared,  you  would,  with  the  good  i 
gardener's  advice,  carefully  select  the  best 
seeds  of  the  kinds  of  flowers  you  wished 
to  have,  and  plant  them.  Then  after  a  I 
few  days  you  would  eagerly  watch  to  see 
if  the  little  green  shoots  were  corning  up, 
and  when  you  found  them,  how  tenderly 
you  would  take  care  that  no  rude  foot- 
step should  press  on  your  garden-bed. 

If  the  gardener  was  wise  and  thought- 
ful, he  would  tell  you  that  these  little 
seeds  would  grow  and  bloom,  and  then 
die  when  the  autumn  winds  came,  and 
though  they  are  very  beautiful  for  a 
while,  he  would  advise  you  to  get  the 
roots  of  some  hardy  plants  which  would 
live  from  year  to  year,  and  the  roots  of 
some  perpetual  roses,  that  need  not  be 
newly  planted  every  spring.  Then  he 
would  tell  you  that  sometimes  the  hot 
sunbeams  will  scorch  the  short-lived  deli- 


CFIILDREX    IN    THE    WOODS. 

One  Hour  a  Week.  p.  K'1. 


THE  GARDEN.  165 

cate  flowers,  and  you  had  better  have 
some  young  trees  which  would  shield 
them  with  a  gentle  shade,  and  in  time 
yield  delicious  fruit  as  a  reward  for  your 
labor. 

After  you  had  planted  all  you  wished 
in  the  warm,  genial  spring  days  that 
gave  such  promise  of  an  early  summer, 
suppose  the  sky  should  become  clouded, 
and  toward  evening  the  air  should  be 
keen  and  chilly,  and  the  little  green 
shoots  should  shiver  and  shake  in  the 
cold  wind.  The  gardener  would  tell  you 
that  night  would  bring  a  killing  frost, 
and  he  would  help  you  prudently  to  cover 
your  garden,  and  you  would  carefully  tie 
up  every  young  slip,  and  protect  all  from 
the  nipping  frost. 

Day  after  day,  through  the  summer, 
you  would  watch  the  sunshine  and  the 
gentle  showers,  and  water  your  garden 
whenever  it  was  hot  and  dry.  But  after 
a  while  you  would  discover  some  things 
growing  which  certainly  you  did  not 
plant — which  never  would  produce  any 


166  ONE  HOUR  %A  WEEK. 

thing  but  thorns  and  thistles.  The  gar- 
dener would  tell  you  these  were  weeds, 
and  that  your  chief  care  now  must  be  to 
keep  clear  of  them.  You  would  break 
them  all  off,  but  in  a  few  days  they  are 
there  again,  and  you  find  that  the  only 
way  to  get  rid  of  them  is  to  pull  them 
up  by  the  roots ;  for  if  left  there,  they 
will  grow  much  faster  than  the  flowers, 

Now,  every  child  has  one  garden-spot, 
which  requires  all  this  care  in  planting, 
and  protecting,  and  keeping  clear  of 
poisonous  thorns  and  thistles.  That 
garden  is  your  heart.  Oh !  watch  it 
well :  plant  there  the  seeds  of  virtue  and 
wisdom  and  love ;  do  not  let  the  killing 
frost  of  evil  companions  nip  off  the 
tender  beginnings  of  virtue;  follow  the 
instructions  of  your  kind  advisers,  and 
their  loving  help  will  be  the  sunshine 
and  the  dew ;  and,  above  all,  watch  and 
keep  clear  of  every  weed  of  evil  thoughts 
and  unkind  words  and  wrong  actions. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

"be  not  hasty  in  thy  spirit  to  be  angry." 

Suppose  that  after  a  while  you  became 
rather  careless  of  your  garden,  and  did 
not  weed  it  as  thoroughly  as  at  first. 
Tired  of  pulling  up  the  weeds  that 
would  grow  again  so  fast,  suppose  there 
was  one  large  one  that  you  thought 
would  "be  so  hard  to  get  up,  you  would 
let  it  alone  awhile.  It  would  not  take 
many  days  for  this  rank  weed  to  be  as 
tall  as  the  roses,  and  a  few  more  days  for 
it  to  fringe  out  in  the  top  of  every  stem, 
and  have  clusters  of  little  pods  filled  with 
seeds.  One  hot  noon  sun  would  burst 
these  pods  and  scatter  the  little  brown 


168  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

seeds  far  and  wide,  and  then  a  large  crop 
of  the  same  sort  may  surely  be  expected, 
which  in  time,  if  unchecked,  will  choke 
and  drive  out  all  the  flowers  and  poison 
the  fruit.  "Would  not  the  wisest  way 
have  been  to  pull  it  up,  root  and  branch, 
before  it  grew  so  large  and  strong  ? 

This  one  wild  plant  grows  in  every 
soil  and  in  every  climate;  there  never 
was  a  heart  in  which  nature  did  not  plant 
this  poisonous  weed.  It  is  anger,  and 
there  is  no  one  sin  which  will  produce  so 
many  more  sins  as  this :  evil  thoughts, 
hasty  wicked  words,  unkind  actions,  and 
cruel  blows,  all  come  from  an  angry  spirit. 
If  it  is  not  controlled  in  childhood  and 
youth,  the  heart  will  be  so  overgrown 
with  headstrong  passion  that  it  will  not 
be  controlled,  and  neither  see  nor  care  for 
the  worst  results;  it  will  separate  the 
best  and  truest  friends,  and  lead  to 
violence   and   death. 

Then  check  the  first  appearance  of  it, 
for  unless  you  learn  in  childhood  to  choke 


A   CONQUEROR.  169 

tMs  growing  weed,  it  will  grow  so  rank 
in  your  heart  as  itself  to  choke  every 
right  feeling.  We  are  taught  in  many 
places  in  the  Bible  to  avoid  anger.  An 
angry  person  is  always  an  unpleasant 
sight — the  flashing  eye,  the  distorted  red 
face,  the  hasty  words  and  excited  motions 
are  never  pleasant  to  see,  and  besides 
being  sinful  it  is  certainly  foolish.  The 
Bible  tells  us  that  "  anger  rests  in  the 
bosom  of  fools."  Again  it  tells  us  that 
"  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  greater  than 
he  that  taketh  a  city."  A  general  who 
with  his  soldiers  would  march  to  a  city 
and  conquer  it,  would  have  the  rolling 
drum  and  thrilling  trumpet  to  celebrate 
his  victory;  but  he  who  with  a  silent 
struggle  has  hushed  the  rising  clamor  of 
passionate  thoughts,  is  a  grander  con- 
queror. 

If,  then,  you  would  be  a  mighty  con- 
queror, hush  the  first  risings  of  that 
proud  spirit  which  does  not  wish  to  sub- 
mit to  another's  will.  "  Let  all  bitterness 
and  wrath  and  anger  be  put  away  from 
15 


170  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

you."  "Cease  from  evil  and  forsake 
wrath,"  and  when  you  see  others  excited 
with  passion,  remember  that  "a  soft; 
answer  turneth  away  wrath,  but  grievous 
words  stir  up  anger." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

"if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly 
father  will  also  forgive  you." 

Theee  is  no  one  lesson  more  neglected 
by  every  body  than  the  lesson  of  for- 
giveness. How  many  people  every  day 
of  their  lives  ask  God  to  forgive  their 
sins,  which  are  many  and  great,  and  ex- 
pect He  will  do  it,  while  there  is  some 
living  person  who  has  offended  them  in 
some  little  thing  perhaps,  and  they  will 
have  nothing  to  do  with  them  because 
they  treasure  up  the  memory  of  one  evil 
word  or  thoughtless  action !  If  they  are 
reasoned  with  about  the  duty  of  for- 
giveness, they  will  at  last  say :  "  Well,  I'll 
forgive,  but  I'll  never  forget."  That  is 
not  forgiveness  at  all. 


172  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

Is  that  the  way  God  forgives  ?  There  is 
not  a  day  of  our  lives  in  which  we  do 
not  sin;  if  not  in  outward  action,  we 
have  wrong  thoughts  which  God  sees.  We 
know  He  can  not  look  upon  sin  without 
hating  it ;  and  yet  every  hour  He  pours 
out  His  mercies  in  blessings  upon  us,  in 
a  constant  unfailing  stream.  And  when 
we  repent  of  our  sins  and  humbly  ask 
Him,  for  His  own  Son's  sake,  to  forgive 
us,  it  is  not  that  half-way  forgiveness 
which  we  poor  mortals  have  for  each 
other.  He  promises  that  Christ's  blood 
shall  wash  away  all  sin,  and  then  sends 
into  our  hearts  that  sweet  peace  and  com- 
fort by  which  we  know  that  He  is  our 
dear  Father,  and  will  not  treasure  up  our 
sins  against  us.  "When  He  is  the  kind 
Father  of  us  all,  and  gives  and  forgives 
such  great  things,  why  can  not  we,  his 
poor  unworthy  creatures,  learn  to  forgive 
each  other  the  little  things  which  happen 
from  day  to  day  % 

But  childhood  is  the  time  to  learn  how 
to  forgive,  and  how  to  seek  forgiveness ; 


THE  ARROW.  173 

and  if  it  is  not  learned  then,  the  heart 
will  grow  so  unbending  that  it  can  not 
easily  be  humbled. 

A  long  time  ago,  a  little  boy  was  shoot- 
ing a  bow  and  arrow  in  the  yard,  and 
trying  how  high  he  could  send  his  arrows 
in  the  air.  Perhaps  he  was  careless 
about  it,  and  one  of  them  hit  a  lady  who 
was  standing  near  by.  She  was  not 
much  hurt,  but  was  angry,  and  told  his 
mother  that  he  had  shot  at  her.  His 
mother  did  not  see  how  it  happened,  but 
she  called  the  little  boy  to  her.  Jle 
said  :  "  Mother,  I  did  not  mean  to  do  it — 
I  am  so  sorry."  His  face  showed  that  he 
told  the  truth,  but  the  tears  came  when 
he  knew  that  his  cousin  was  angry  with 
him.  He  went  to  her  and  threw  his  arms 
around  her  neck,  and  with  sobs  told  her 
he  was  sorry  and  begged  her  to  forgive 
him.  He  kissed  her,  and  she  held  her 
cheek  to  his  little  lips,  but  there  was  no 
answering  kiss,  and  when  he  asked  her 
again  to  please  forgive  him,  she  coldly 
said,  "  Well"  and  went  on  reading,  just  as 
15* 


174  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

if  the  dear,  loving,  little  heart  full  of  sor- 
row, was  not  waiting  to  be  loved  and 
freely  forgiven. 

And  yet  that  lady  was  a  Christian,  and 
believed  that  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  would 
forgive  all  her  sins.  If  she  had  learned 
when  a  little  child  how  to  forgive,  she 
would  not  have  been  so  far  behind  that 
little  boy  in  lessons  of  forgiveness.  But 
it  was  not  in  vain  that  he  so  early  learned 
such  lessons,  for  he  is  now  growing  up  a 
noble  youth,  wearing,  in  the  expression  of 
his  face,  the  proof  that  the  Christian 
graces  of  love  and  forgiveness  adorn  his 
heart. 

Besides  the  commands  which  we  have 
in  the  Bible,  we  have  several  examples  of 
this  lovely  trait  which  the  Christian,  of 
all  others,  should  possess.  A  good  man 
who  was  stoned  to  death  because  he  was 
a  Christian,  with  his  dying  breath  prayed 
God  to  forgive  his  wicked  murderers. 
But  Jesus  tells  us  :  "  Love  your  enemies, 
do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  bless 
them  that  curse  you,  and  pray  for  them 


TRUE  NOBILITY.  175 

that  despitefully  use  you."  He  never 
taught  any  thing  in  words  which  he  did 
not  also  teach  by  example.  While  He 
hung  on  the  cross,  suffering  the  agonies 
of  death,  He  prayed  God  to  forgive  those 
who  spit  upon  Him,  who  struck  and 
mocked  Him. 

We  may  feel  that  it  is  hard  for  our 
proud  hearts  to  ask  or  grant  forgiveness ; 
but  if  our  hearts  are  filled  with  love,  we 
will  remember  that  it  is  noble,  it  is  God- 
like to  forgive. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

"blessed  are  the  peace  makers,  for  they  shall  be 
called  the  children  of  god." 

If  we  learn  to  forgive  and  to  seek  for- 
giveness, we  certainly  shall  come  in  the 
class  who  are  called  blessed.  Jesus  is 
called  the  Prince  of  Peace.  Before  He 
came  to  this  world  there  had  been  many 
long  and  cruel  wars ;  nations  had  fought 
against  each  other,  and  slain  thousands 
and  tens  of  thousands,  and  the  green 
earth  had  been  deluged  with  blood. 
Those  that  were  victorious  sang  loud 
songs  of  triumph,  rejoicing  in  the  death 
of  thousands  of  their  enemies. 

But  when  Jesus  was  born,  that  same 
country  that  had  often  heard  the  trumpet 


A  PEACEMAKER.  177 

of  battle,  now  listened  to  a  new  song.  It 
was  the  music  of  angels  in  the  sky,  and 
the  words  they  sang  were  unknown  be- 
fore :  "  Peace  on  earth,  good- will  to  men." 
The  Jews  had  expected  that  Jesns  would 
come  as  a  mighty  king  «in  great  power, 
but  they  were  surprised  that  He  preached 
unto  them  "  a  gospel  of  peace."  In  these 
bonds  of  peace  He  would  unite  us  all ; 
then  if  we  strive  to  be  like  Him,  let  us 
be  peacemakers. 

Children  may  learn  and  practise  this ; 
for  how  often .  in  one  family,  even  under 
the  roof  of  their  own  loved  home,  is 
there  some  strife  and  contention !  To 
possess  and  impart  a  spirit  of  love,  which 
seeks  to  bring  together  the  hearts  where 
bitterness  to  each  other  is  springing  up, 
is  the  work  of  a  peacemaker.  How 
often  a  little  child,  by  some  tender,  kind 
words,  can  do  this  very  thing ! 

Jesus  Christ  tells  us,  if  we  do  His 
will,  He  will  be  our  Elder  Brother,  and 
we  have  the  promise  that  "  peacemakers 
shall  be  the  children  of  God."     Let  us, 


178  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

then,  try  to  follow  peace  with  all  men, 
and  be  members  of  one  great  loving 
family. 

But  there  is  another  sense  in  which  we 
should  be  peacemakers.  We  are  all  sin- 
ful and  wicked  Unless  we  have  repented 
and  sought  forgiveness  through  the  blood 
of  Christ.  We  have  sinned  against  our 
great  and  holy  Judge,  and  He  is  angry 
with  us;  angry  that  we  slight  all  His 
kind  offers  of  mercy  when  we  know  that 
we  ought  to  make  our  peace  with  Him. 
If  we  would  do  this,  in  sorrow  go  to 
Him,  and  say  He  is  justly  offended  with 
us,  and  pray  Him,  for  Christ's  sake,  to  ac- 
cejDt  and  forgive  us,  we  could  love  Him 
as  our  dear,  kind  Father,  and  Jesus  as  our 
Elder  Brother,  and  then,  indeed,  should 
we  be  blessed  as  the  children  of  God. 

But  even  more  than  this ;  by  our  ex- 
ample and  precept  we  can  try  to  induce 
others  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  It  is  a 
glorious  thing  to  be  the  means  of  leading 
even  one  person  to  make  his  peace  with 
God.  Then  remember  even  a  child  can 
work  for  Him. 


PEACE   WITH  GOD.  179 

Is  it  not  blessed  indeed  to  be  at  peace 
with  God  and  at  peace  with  men  ?  Then 
shall  we  be  called  the  children  of  God, 
and  He  will  give  us  that  "  sweet  peace 
which  passeth  all  understanding,"  which 
"the  world  can  not  give  and  can  not  take 
away."  It  was  in  this  sense  that  Jesus 
spoke  to  His  disciples  on  the  last  night 
He  spent  with  them  before  He  was  cruci- 
fied ;  when  with  His  own  dreadful  death 
before  Him,  He  said :  "  Peace  I  leave  with 
you ;  my  peace  give  I  unto  you." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

UA    NEW     COMMANDMENT     I     GIVE     UNTO     YOU,     THAT     YE 
LOVE     ONE     ANOTHER." 

There  was  one  of  Jesus'  followers 
whom  He  clearly  loved,  named  John. 
He  was  more  constantly  with  Him  than 
most  of  the  other  disciples,  and  when  He 
took  His  last  supper  with  them,  John 
leaned  upon  the  Saviour's  bosom.  He  is 
called  the  Beloved  Disciple,  and  his 
writings  show  more  of  the  spirit  of  love 
and  gentleness  than  almost  any  other 
writer  in  the  Bible. 

It  is  said  that  naturally  his  temper  was 
quick,  and  his  disposition  ready  to  resent 
an  injury ;  so  that  when  he  was  first  a  dis- 
ciple, Jesus  called  John  and  his  brother 
James,  "Sons  of  Thunder."     But  he  be- 


JOHN.  181 

came  one  of  the  mildest,  gentlest  charac- 
ters of  which  history  has  ever  told  us; 
for  he  received  the  spirit  of  his  Master, 
who  was  meek  and  lowly  of  heart.  He 
lived  long  after  the  rest  of  the  disciples 
were  dead,  and  it  is  said  that  when  he 
was  old  and  weak,  he  used  to  be  led  to 
the  church  where  the  people  were  wor- 
shipping, and  as  he  was  too  feeble  to 
preach,  he  would  say:  "Little  children, 
love  one  another." 

All  of  his  writings  are  filled  with  this 
sweet  spirit  of  love — love  to  God  and  to 
men.  His  heart  seems  to  be  so  full  of 
divine  love,  that  he  breaks  out  in  such 
words  as  these :  "  Behold  what  manner  of 
love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us, 
that  we  should  be  called  the  children  of 
God."  No  one  could  see  more  clearly  the 
love  of  Jesus  than  this  disciple,  who  had 
wandered  with  Him  day  after  day,  who 
had  witnessed  whole  nights  spent  in 
prayer,  who  saw  the  fearful  agony  in  the 
lonely  garden,  and  who  stood  by  and 
looked  with  aching  heart  while  his  dear 
16 


182  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

Master  was  cruelly  nailed  on  the  cross. 
He  heard  those  dying  cries  and  groans, 
and  knew  the  fearful  cost  of  those  pre- 
cious drops  of  bloo'd.  He  remembered 
the  tones  of  that  voice  which  but  a  few 
days  before  said  to  them:  "As  I  have 
loved  you,  also  love  one  another." 

He  who  had  so  well  learned  to  measure 
the  length  and  depth  of  divine  love,  felt 
how  strong  and  deep  should  be  our  love 
to  each  other.  He  knew  that  the  life  of 
Jesus#  was  a  life  of  love,  for  His  daily 
path  was  marked  by  scattered  blessings ; 
and  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself,"  was  not  only  a  rule  of  His  lips 
but  of  His  life  also.  There  is  scarcely  a 
command  in  the  Bible  which  is  so  often 
and  so  distinctly  repeated  as  this  one ;  it 
is  recorded  nine  times  in  these  same 
words:  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself." 

Jesus  was  once  teaching  this,  when 
some  one  said  to  Him :  "  Who  is  my 
neighbor  V  He  answered  by  telling  this 
story:    A  man   was  travelling    on  the 


THE  GOOD  SAMARITAN.  183 

highway  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho ;  but 
he  fell  among  thieves  who  stole  all  they 
could,  and  then  wounded  him,  and  left 
him  by  the  road-side  to  die.  While  he 
lay  there  a  priest  passed  along.  "We 
should  expect  a  priest  to  show  some  pity 
for  a  suffering  man,  but  he  passed  by  on 
the  other  side.  Then  a  Levite  came  by; 
one  who  lived  in  the  temple,  and  who 
sang  the  sweet  psalms  of  David,"  and 
ought  to  have  had  a  tender  heart;  but 
he  went  and  looked  at  him,  and  then,  like 
the  priest,  walked  over  on  the  other  side. 
Next,  came  a  Samaritan  who  was  going 
to  Jerusalem,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  him, 
he  had  compassion  on  him.  The  Samari- 
tans were  enemies  of  the  Jews;  but  he 
forgot  that  in  his  pity — his  kind  heart 
must  relieve  suffering ;  so  he  went  to  him 
and  bound  up  his  wounds  with  oil  and 
wrine,  and  set  him  on  his  own  beast,  and 
brought  him  to  a  house  and  took  care  of 
him.  The  next  day  he  himself  paid  the 
keeper  of  the  house,  and  promised  if  he 
needed  more  care,  he  would  pay  for  it. 


184  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK.  . 

After  this  story,  Jesus  asked  which 
one  of  the  three  was  his  neighbor.  They 
answered:  "He  that  showed  mercy  on 
him."  Jesus  then  added,  for  us,  as  well 
as  for  the  listeners  then  around  Him: 
"  Go,  and  do  thou  likewise." 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


BE   YE    KIND    ONE    TO    ANOTHER. 


The  Apostle  John,  after  so  often  tell- 
ing us  to  love  one  another,  seems  to  fear 
it  will  be  only  in  expression,  and  adds: 
"  Let  us  love  not  in  word,  but  in  deed 
and  in  truth."  Loving;  and  kind  ex- 
pressions  we  should  always  use,  but  af- 
fection should  not  end  in  words. 

Suppose  the  good  Samaritan  who  found 
the  wounded,  bleeding  man,  had  gone  to 
him,  and  leaning  over  him,  told  him  how 
he  pitied  him,  how  sorry  he  was  for  his 
dreadful  wounds,  how  much  he  loved  him 
in  his  distress,  and  then  had  gone  on  his 
way,  leaving  him  there  to  die.  Would  it 
not  have  been  an  idle  story  to  the  poor 
helpless  man?  The*  only  love  which  is 
16* 


f 
186  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 


worth,  any  thing,  is  that  which  will 
prompt  kind   deeds. 

I  once  knew  two  little  girls,  whom  I 
will  call  Zephyr  and  Sunshine.  Zephyr 
was  so  pretty  and  graceful,  that  every 
body  admired  her  as  soon  as  they  looked 
at  her;  she  always  went  flitting  about 
the  house,  singing  like  a  bird,  and  making 
every  body  feel  as  if  they  ought  to  be 
cheerful  and  happy.  She  would  go  to 
her  mother,  and  throw  her  arms  around 
her  neck,  and  say :  "  O  my  sweet  mother ! 
you  are  the  dearest  mother  in  the 
world."  Then  she  would  frolic  with  her 
little  brothers,  and  then  go  to  the  baby, 
and  shake  her  golden  curls  at  him,  and 
play  bo-peep  until  he  would  laugh,  and 
crow,  and  clap  his  little  chubby  hands. 

At  home  or  at  school,  every  body  was 
gay  when  Zephyr  was  about,  for  she  had 
a  bright  smile  and  a  cheerful  word  for 
all.  But  Sunshine  would  glide  so  softly 
in  and  out  you  scarcely  knew  when  she 
came;  but  if  the  baby  was  fretful  and 
tired,  and  mother  \^s  busy,  she  was  al- 


SUNSHINE.  187 

ways  there  to  take  him.  in  her  arms  and 
sit  in  her  little  rocking-chair,  and  with 
the  low  song  he  loved  the  best,  soothe 
his  restlessness  nntil  his  head  rested 
heavily  on  her  shoulder,  in  sweet,  quiet 
sleep. 

If  the  little  children  got  into  trouble, 
she  was  ever  ready  to  help  them ;  if  they 
were  hurt,  Sunshine  could  bind  up  the 
cut  finger  or  bruised  head;  and  when 
they  had  played  so  hard  with  Zephyr 
they  were  worn  out,  Sunshine  would 
gather  them  around  her,  and  with  some 
sweet  story  quiet  them.  Zephyr  was  so 
gay  and  restless,  nobody  ever  thought  of 
asking  her  to  do  any  thing,  which  would 
not  be  pleasant  to  herself;  but  Sunshine 
seemed  to  live  for  others,  and  was  always 
just  in  the  right  place  and  the  right  time 
to  do  kind  deeds. 

Not  far  from  their  house  was  a  little 
cottage,  where  an  old  man  lived,  and  the 
sisters  loved  to  go  and  visit  him.  In  the 
mild  summer  evenings  he  sat  in  an  easy 
chair  at  the  cottage-door. 


188  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

There  lie  would  listen  for  Zephyr's 
merry  voice,  as  she  would  come  bounding 
np  the  green  lane,  and  she  would  chat 
with  him  a  few  minutes  and  then  away — 
so  he  called  her  his  humming-lbird.  But 
Sunshine  stepjDed  so  softly  on  the  green 
grass  that  she  would  get  quite  up  to  him 
and  lay  her  little  hand  on  his,  before  he 
knew  she  was  near,  and  sometimes  hand- 
ed him  a  flower,  or  some  nice  fruit  that 
she  would  not  eat  herself,  because  she 
was  happier  to  give  it  away.  It  made 
no  difference  to  him  that  Sunshine's  face 
was  plainer  than  her  sister's,  or  that  her 
only  beauty  was  in  her  soft,  loving  eyes 
—  for  he  was  blind.  People  said  her 
mouth  was  not  pretty,  but  it  made  no 
difference  to  those  who  knew  her  lovely 
character. 

When  Zephyr  was  gone,  Sunshine 
would  sit  on  the  low  door-step  by  her 
old  friend,  and  read  to  him  from  the 
precious  Book  he  loved  best,  and  as  the 
twilight  came,  his  trembling  hand  would 
stroke  back  her   smooth   hair,  while  he 


THE  OLD  MAX.  189 

told  lier  of  a  little  sister  whom  lie  loved. 
Seventy  years  ago  she  died,  but  lie  forgot 
the  long  gone  years,  and  remembered  her 
as  the  little  sister  with  whom  he  played. 
Sometimes  he  seemed  to  think  he  was  a 
boy  again,  and  this  was  little  Alice  who 
had  slept  so  long  in  the  valley;  but 
again  he  would  talk  of  heaven,  and 
raising  his  sightless  eyes  toward  the 
sky,  would  say :  "  O  sunshine !  we,  will 
see  her  there." 


»      BENEVOLENCE. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

"  GOD   LOVETH   A   CHEERFUL   GIVER." 

Theee  are  many  verses  in  the  Bible 
which  teach  ns  to  be  generous,  and  give 
to  those  who  are  poorer  than  we.  Not  a 
child  will  read  this  little  book  but  is 
meant  in  that  verse  which  says :  "  Freely 
ye  have  received,  freely  give."  "We  all 
enjoy  many  blessings  and  comforts,  which 
we  might  share  with  others  not  so 
blessed. 

We  need  not  always  give  great  things, 
for  there  are  some  who  give  great  things 
who  are  mean  in  trifles ;  but  Jesus  tells 
us :  "  Whoever  will  give  a  cup  of  cold 
water  shall  not  lose  his  reward."  A  cup 
of  cold  water  is  a  very  little  thiDg,  but 
when  one  is  hot  and  weary  it  is  very  re- 


GENEROSITY.  191 

freshing,  and  so  is  every  little  gift  that  is 
prompted  by  a  kind,  loving  heart.  It  is 
not  the  worth  of  the  gift  which  God 
looks  at,  but  if  it  is*  given  cheerfully,  out 
of  love  to  Hirn  and  love  to  onr  fellow- 
men,  then  it  is  pleasing  to  Him. 

There  was  once  a  boy  who  had  learned 
this  verse  one  morning,  and  determined 
he  would  try  that  day  to  do  some  good 
by  giving.  At  school,  in  one  of  his 
classes,  was  a  little  boy  whom  he  knew 
as  being  a  good  scholar;  but  he  never 
met  him  at  play  with  the  other  boys,  and 
only  knew  him  because  he  kept  near  the 
head  of  his  class.  This  day  he  noticed 
the  boy  had  on  a  very  thin  coat ;  the  el- 
bows were  neatly  patched,  but  the  short 
sleeves  did  not  cover  his  wrists ;  his  pan- 
taloons, too,  looked  worn  and  small. 

It  did  not  take  Harry  long  to  deter- 
mine h^  would  find  out  where  Charles 
lived,  and  ask  his  mother  to  let  him  take 
him  a  suit  of  last  winter's  clothes,  which 
were  rather  small  for  him,  but  would  fit 
Charles.   When  school  closed,  Harry  look- 


192  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

ed  for  him,  but  Charles  could  not  be 
found.  He  went  home  to  ask  his  mother 
about  the  clothes,  and  found  his  grand- 
mother there  spending  the  day.  She  sat 
by  the  fire,  knitting,  and  soon  finished  a 
pair  of  warm  mittens,  which  she  gave 
Harry.  After  dinner  he  put  on  his  thick 
overcoat  and  his  new  mittens,  and  started 
with  his  father  down-town. 

They  were  walking  along  through  the 
snow,  when  a  little  boy  stepped  up  and 
said :  "  Have  a  paper,  sir  V  It  was  a 
familiar  voice,  and  Harry  looked  —  there 
stood  his  school  friend,  a  leather  strap 
over  the  thin  jacket,  and  a  bundle  of 
papers  under  his  arm.  Harry  noticed 
the  purple  hands  which  held  the  papers, 
and  the  fingers  so  numb  he  could  scarce- 
ly handle  the  change  as  he  gave  it  to 
Harry's  father. 

Harry  thought  but  an  instant  I  "Sure- 
ly grandma  would  not  care  —  he  needs 
them  more  than  I  do."  The  next  minute 
he  thrust  the  new  mittens  on  Charley's 
hands,  and  ran  on  to  overtake  his  father. 


A   CHEERFUL   GIVER.  193 

The  next  day  Charley  thanked  his  new 
friend,  and  Harry  asked  if  he  might  come 
to  see  him.  At  first  Charles  would  not 
tell  him,  saying,  "  You  would  not  care  to 
visit  a  poor  newsboy;"  but  Harry  insist- 
ed, and  Charles  agreed  to  come  for  him 
after  he  had  sold  his  evening  papers.  #  It 
was  a  big  bundle  Harry  carried  under 
his  arm  that  night,  as  he  followed  Charles 
through  the  narrow  streets,  and  his 
widowed  mother  thankfully  accepted  the 
warm  suit  of  clothes.  He  found  a  little 
sister  of  Charley's,  only  two  years  old, 
who  did  not  seem  any  more  warmly 
dressed  than  he  was.  Harry's  little 
sister  was  just  learning  to  sew,  and  she 
was  so  interested  in  her  brother's  new 
friends,  that  she  spent  all  her  leisure  time 
in  making  some  warm  woollen  dresses  for 
the  little  girl. 

Those   children   had  learned    how  to 

give.      Harry's    heart  was  warm    if  his 

hands  were  cold,  for  he  rejoiced  to  know 

that   Charles's  hands  were    kept    warm 

17 


194  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

with  grandma's  mittens.  And  Harry's 
sister,  as  she  sat  at  her  sewing,  day  after 
day,  sang  like  a  bird,  for  she  was  happy 
in  being  useful. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


"WHATSOEVER    YE   WOULD     THAT     MEN     SHOULD    DO     UNTO 
YOU,    DO   YE    EVEN   SO   TO   THE3I." 

Suppose  an  angel  should  come  to  this 
world,  and  tell  us  some  way  in  which  all 
we  touched  might  be  turned  to  gold: 
how  eagerly  we  would  listen  to  every  di- 
rection he  would  give ;  how  anxiously  we 
would  try  to  do  as  he  directed  us ;  and 
how  joyful  would  we  be  at  our  riches 
and  happiness ! 

But  a  greater  than  an  angel  has  come 
down  from  heaven,  and  in  a  few  short 
words  has  given  us  a  rule  which  is  more 
precious  than  gold,  and  which,  if  every 
body  followed,  would  fill  the  world  with 
the  riches  of  true  happiness. 

Hundreds  of  years  before  Jesus  came, 


196  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

wise  men  and  scholars  tried  to  discover 
the  secret  of  human  happiness.  They 
thought  and  talked,  and  wrote  great 
plans  and  sets  of  rules  by  which  they 
hoped  men  could  live  in  peace  and  die  in 
happiness.  The  great  kings  of  the  earth 
believed  in  war  and  in  power ;  that  men 
should  submit  to  be  ruled  and  live  in 
peace,  because  all  were  alike  subject  to 
the  great  powers  that  conquered  the 
earth.  Scholars  toiled  and  wrote,  and 
left:  long  rolls  of  written  parchment  for 
other  scholars  to  study,  looking  in  vain 
to  discover  some  great  plan  for  human 
virtue. 

After  all  this,  there  was  a  Man  who 
grew  up  as  a  carpenter,  who  was  never  a 
scholar  of  any  of  the  great  philosophers 
of  the  age,  who  never  wrote  a  line  in  His 
life  that  we  know  of,  who  had  no  earthly 
throne  or  power ;  and  yet  one  day  gave  a 
simple  rule  to  His  few  followers,  which 
will  last  until  the  end  of  time,  and  which, 
if  obeyed  in  all  the  world,  would  make  a 
golden  age. 


A  ROMAN  EMPEROR.  197 

The  people  expressed  no  joy  when  this 
new  rule  was  given ;  nor  did  they  realize 
that  they  were  in  possession  of  the  long 
looked  for  secret.  There  was  one  of  the 
great  ones  of  the  world  who  saw  the 
beauty  of  these  links  of  golden  deeds 
that  could  bind  the  hearts  of  men  in  a 
chain  which  would  reach  to  heaven.  It 
was  one  of  the  emperors  of  Rome,  who 
had  this  rule  inscribed  in  letters  of  gold 
on  the  walls  of  his  chamber. 

"We  should  feel  shame  at  the  example 
of  this  Roman,  for  now  in  this  Christian 
land  how  few  of  us  make  this  the  rule  of 
our  lives  !  There  is  scarcely  a  child  but 
what  could  repeat  it,  if  they  were  asked 
the  Golden  Rule;  but  instead  of  asking 
if  they  could  say  it,  if  we  should  watch 
each  one  carefully  from  morning  until 
night,  how  many  would  show  by  their 
actions  that  they  kept  the  Golden  Rule 
bright  in  their  hearts  ?  How  many  large 
boys  treat  their  little  brothers  and  sisters 
as  they  would  like  a  larger  brother  to 
treat  them  \  How  many  sisters  are  kind 
17* 


198  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

and  sweet  and  gentle  to  all  as  they  would 
like  their  elder  sisters  to.  be  to  them? 
How  many  children  are  as  loving  and 
thoughtful  and  careful  of  the  comfort  of 
their  parents,  as  they  expect  their  parents 
to  be  to  them  ? 

If  we  could  but  have  our  hearts  so  full 
of  love  to  our  Father  in  heaven  that  we 
loved  all  His  creatures,  we  should  gladly 
make  this  the  rule  of  our  lives.  Then 
we  should  not  feel  the  risings  of  anger 
and  ill-will  and  hatred ;  we  should  not 
find  evil,  unkind  words  on  our  lips ;  we 
should  not  need  to  struggle  so  hard  when 
we  try  to  forgive ;  but  loving  thoughts,' 
kind  words,  and  generous  deeds  would 
adorn  every  day  and  hour. 

Let  us,  then,  try  to  obey  all,  in  remem- 
bering that  "whatsoever  we  would  like 
others  to  do  to  us,  we  will  do  eren  so  to 
them." 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

"have  always  a  conscience  void  of  offense  toward 
god  and  toward  man." 

Theee  is  an  old  story  of  a  mother, 
whose  son  was  going  far  away  to  distant 
lands,  to  be  away  for  a  long  time.  She 
had  always  watched  him  closely  and  tried 
to  lead  him  in  the  ways  of  virtue.  But  he 
was  now  going  far  away  from  his  moth- 
er's eye  and  warning  voice.  As  she  bade 
him  farewell,  she  placed  a  ring  upon  his 
finger.  She  warned  him  never  to  be 
guilty  of  an  action  which  he  would  be 
unwilling  for  her  to  see,  and  begged  him 
never  to  lose  her  last  gift,  for  there  was 
magic  in  the  ring,  and  it  would  remind 
him  whenever  he  did  wrong.  It  was  a 
brilliant  diamond,  so  set,  that  as  his  hand 


200  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

moved,  the  glittering  stone  moved  also, 
and  showed  every  ray  of  light  that  fell 
upon  it. 

The  under  part  of  the  stone  had  a  very 
sharp  point,  and  in  some  mysterious  way, 
whenever  he  was  doing  wrong,  it  could 
sink  down  in  its  golden  setting  and  prick 
his  finger,  as  if  it  held  a  hidden  lance. 
He  bade  his  mother  farewell,  and  touch- 
ing his  noble  horse  with  the  spur,  gallop- 
ed away,  while  she  watched  his  shining 
helmet  and  bright  plume  waving  in  the 
morning  sunlight. 

Day  after  day  he  continued  his  journey, 
and  at  last  joined  a  company  of  Roman 
soldiers.  He  had  not  been  long  in  the 
encampment  before  he  was  urged  to  join 
in  pleasures  which  he  knew  his  noble 
mother  could  not  approve.  True  enough, 
the  magic  ring  pierced  his  finger,  so  that 
with  a  sickening  feeling  he  left  the  camp, 
and  wandered  away  from  his  companions. 
But  the  merry  laugh  reached  him,  and  he 
began  to  think  perhaps  his  mother  had 
not  seen  the  world,  and  did  not  know 


THE  MAGIC  RING.  201 

that  lie  could  enjoy  its  pleasures  without 
being  hurt.  • 

He  returned;  but  again  the  sharp  re- 
minder told  him  he  was  doing  wrong. 
He  could  not  endure  this  —  he  was  re- 
solved that  he  would  taste  for  a  little 
while  the  pleasures  of  the  Roman  camp, 
and  yet  he  could  not  bear  this  piercing 
monitor  which  gave  him  no  rest.  His 
mother's  last  gift — he  dared  not  take  it 
off  or  fling  it  away ;  so  he  took  a  small 
piece  of  flint  and  slipped  it  between  the 
diamond  and  his  finger.  ISTow  that  he 
had  silenced  his  little  teacher,  there  was 
nothing  to  keep  him  from  pleasure.  He 
forgot  the  object  of  his  journey,  and 
passed  week  after  week  joining  in  every 
thing  which  came  up  among  the  wild  and 
lawless  soldiers.    . 

One  day  thoughts  of  home,  of  his 
mother,  came  over  him,  and  as  his  eyes 
fell  upon  the  diamond,  whose  unchanging 
brightness  should  have  shamed  his  dark 
doings,  he  thought  of  the  little  flint 
which  he  had  inserted.    A  dim  sense  that 


202  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

lie  had  been  false  to  his  promise,  made 
him  take  the  flifct  away. 

Soon  the  troops  were  ordered  to  move 
their  camp ;  but  he  still  went  with  them, 
charmed  with  his  wandering,  lawless  life, 
every  day  of  which  saw  some  deed  which 
he  wonld  not  have  owned  to  his  noble 
mother.  But  the  ring  no  more  reminded 
him  of  her;  worn  and  blunted  on  the 
flint,  its  touches  were  now  so  slight  they 
gave  him  no  pain. 

Do  you  know  that  every  child  possesses 
a  gem,  which  is  at  first  as  bright  and 
clear  as  a  diamond,  and  as  easily  moved 
as  the  stone  of  this  magic  ring?  It  is 
called  a  Conscience.  God  has  put  this 
power  in  every  soul.  If  you  will  notice 
its  promptings,  it  will  remain  bright  and 
keen ;  but  if  you  will  not  heed  it,  at  last 
it  will  become  so  dull  and  blunt  that 
you  can  not  be  guided  by  it.  You  know 
how  sweet  it  is,  when  you  have  done 
right,  for  your  mother's  loving  eyes  to 
look  upon  you,  and  her  own  loving  voice 
to  tell  you  she  loves  you  because  you  are 


CONSCIENCE.  203 

good.  How  much  better  to  know  that 
God  can  look  with  favor  upon  us,  and 
that  we  may  know  when  we  displease 
Him,  He  has  planted  this,  silent  monitor 
4n  our  breasts ! 

"Why  is  it  that  the  child  who  has 
spoken  an  untruth,  hangs  his  head  and 
looks  ashamed  and  unhappy  ?  Because 
he  is  troubled,  for  this  conscience  pricks 
and  pains  him.  The  only  way  to  be 
truly  happy  is  to  try  and  perform  all  our 
duties  to  God,  to  ourselves,  and  to  our 
fellow-men — then  shall  we  "have  a  con- 
science void  of  offense  toward  God  and 
toward  man." 


CHAPTER  XLin. 

"BL5SSED    ABE    THEY   THAT   HEAB    THE   WOBD    OP    GOD    AND 
KEEP   IT." 

Every  child  who  reads  this  little  book, 
who  has  a  kind  mother,  or  teacher,  or 
friend  to  tell  them  about  good  things, 
has  heard  the  word  of  God.  "Would  you 
not  think  it  a  blessed  thing  if  you  could 
see  the  Saviour  standing  by  you ;  if  you 
could  feel  those  holy  hands  that  were 
pierced  by  the  nails,  resting  upon  your 
head? 

But  in  reality  you  are  more  favored  in 
being  taught,  than  those  little  children 
whom  Jesus  took  in  His  arms  when  He 
was  on  earth.  They  had  not  the  Bible, 
Jesus  had  not  died,  and  they  did  not 
know  how  they  could  be  forgiven.     They 


HEARERS  AND  DOERS.  205 

had  no  Sunday-schools  and  no  good 
books.  We  have  all  these,  and  a  tender 
conscience  to  tell  ns  if  we  obey  these 
wise  and  holy  teachings ;  and  more  than 
all,  we  have  a  blessing  promised  to  us  if 
we  hear  the  Word  and  keep  it.  But  if 
we  do  not  keep  it,  where  is  our  excuse  ? 
We  are  told  that  we  must  be  doers  of  the 
word,  and  not  hearers  only. 

Thousands  of  children  grow  up  in 
heathen  lands,  where  the  first  word  they 
are  taught  to  utter  is  a  prayer  to  some 
image  of  stone;  thousands  of  children 
never  heard  the  name  of  Jesus;  thou- 
sands even  in  Christian  countries  have 
wicked  parents,  and  soon  learn  to  lie  and 
steal.  Some  never  heard  the  voice  of 
prayer,  and  are  accustomed  only  to  un- 
kind words  and  wicked  oaths. 

How  thankful  ought  these  dear  child- 
ren to  be  that  they  have  heard  the  word 
of  God  !  It  is  this  which  makes  ours 
such  a  happy  country ;  it  is  this  which 
fills  our  land  with  kind  mothers  and  hap- 
18 


206  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

py  homes,  where  we  may  worship  God  in 
peace  and  quiet. 

In  countries  where  there  is  no  Bible 
there  is  war  and  bloodshed  and  cruelty ; 
women  are  made  to  labor  like  cattle,  and 
little  children  are  killed  to  please  the 
dumb  gods  of  their  fathers,  or  left  to 
grow  up  in  ignorance.  We  do  not 
realize  how  glad  we  should  be  for  this 
Word  which  makes  our  lives  so  happy. 

But  will  it  do  us  any  good,  if  we  do 
not  obey  its  teachings?  We  are  told 
that  "to  whom  much  is  given,  of  them 
much  shall  be  required;"  and  the  pro- 
mised blessing  is  not  only  to  those  who 
hear  the  Word,  but  to  those  who  keep  it. 

We  sometimes  wonder  that  those  per- 
sons who  saw  the  miracles  of  Jesus,  who 
heard  His  voice,  who  could  ask  Him 
questions,  did  not  do  exactly  as  He 
taught  them.  But  there  were  many  who 
listened  to  His  voice,  and  heard  the  words 
of  wise  instruction  as  they  fell  from  His 
lips,  who  never  obeyed  them.  He  him- 
self talked  of  this,  and   said  that  those 


THE  TWO* HOUSE-BUILDERS.  207 

who  heard  His  sayings  and  obeyed  them, 
were  like  a  man  who  wished  to  bnild  a 
house.  First,  he  dug  deep  in  the  ground 
and  filled  it  in  with  rocks,  that  he  might 
have  a  strong  and  sure  foundation,  and 
then  upon  the  rocks  he  built  his  house. 
After  a  while  a  storm  came,  and  the  wind 
blew,  and  the  rain  beat  upon  the  house. 
But  in  vain  the  torrents  dashed  upon  his 
dwelling,  for  it  was  firm  and  strong,  upon 
a  rocky  foundation. 

But  there  were  others  who  were  not 
doers  of  the  Word,  but  hearers  only,  and 
thus  He  draws  their  picture.  There  was 
a  thoughtless,  foolish  man  who  built  a 
house  upon  the  earth,  without  digging 
any  foundation  —  thoughtlessly  he  raised 
his  walls  upon  a  sandy  soil.  Soon  the 
wind  arose,  and  the  walls  trembled  as 
the  rain  beat  against  it  —  the  storm  in- 
creased  until  the  flood  swept  in  torrents 
through  the  sand,  and  the  tottering  walls 
fell  with  a  crash,  burying  all  in  storm, 
and  flood,  and  ruin. 


ny,sv>  o/: 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

"  WISDOM   IS    THE    PRINCIPAL   THING :     THEREFORE   GET 
WISDOM." 

There  was  once  a  young  man  who  was 
king  over  the  Jews.  His  father,  David, 
died,  and  left  Solomon  to  reign  in  his 
place.  Soon  after  that,  one  night,  in  a 
dream,  he  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord, 
saying :  aAsk  what  I  shall  give  thee." 
Solomon  knew  it  was  God  who  spoke, 
and  that  He  could  give  him  riches,  or 
long  life,  or  power  to  conquer  all  the 
nations  of  the  world.  Now,  what  do  you 
suppose  he  asked  ? 

He  said :  u  I  am  hut  a  little  child,  and 
know  not  how  to  go  out  or  come  in.  I 
have  "been  made  king  over  this  great 
people,   and  I  am  so   young  I   do   not 


KING  SOLOMON.  209 

know  how  to  govern  them.  Give,  I 
pray  Thee,  Thy  servant  an  understand- 
ing heart,  that  I  may  know  how  to  judge 
Thy  people." 

God  was  pleased  at  Solomon's  choice, 
and  told  him  he  should  have  a  wise  and 
understanding  heart ;  greater  wisdom 
than  any  man  who  ever  did,  or  ever  will, 
live.  But  because  he  did  not  ask  riches, 
or  long  life,  or  power,  he  should  have 
them  all.  He  was  so  wise  that  he  wrote 
three  thousand  proverbs,  and  one  thou- 
sand and  five  songs,  and  in  his  proverbs 
and  songs  that  we  have  in  the  Bible,  he 
speaks  more  than  two  hundred  times  of 
knowledge  and  understanding. 

No  little  child  can  doubt  that  "  wis- 
dom is  the  principal  thing,"  when  the 
wisest  man  who  ever  lived  has  written 
so  much  about  it  in  the  Scriptures.  He 
tells  us  that  wisdom  is  more  precious 
than  rubies,  and  that  understanding  is 
better  than  fine  gold ;  that  we  must  seek 
it  as  silver,  and  search  for  it  as  for  hid 
treasures. 

18* 


210  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

And  these  precious  promises  are  made 
to  those,who  love  knowledge  and  seek  to 
be  wise :  "  They  shall  learn  of  God ;" 
"  They  shall  be  kept  from  evil  and  crooked 
ways,"  and  led  "  in  paths  of  pleasantness 
and  peace ;"  in  this  world  it  "  shall  add 
length  of  days,  and  riches,  and  honor," 
and  at  last  "  a  crown  of  glory." 

But  some  little  child  will  ask :  How  can 
I  get  this  wisdom  ?  how  can  a  little  child 
be  so  wise?  The  simplest  child  may 
have  "  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  which  is  the 
beginning  of  knowledge."  If  you  have 
read  as  far  as  this,  "  one  hour  a  week," 
and  thought  about  it,  the  way  has  been 
shown  by  which  you  can  find  this  path  to 
true  wisdom. 

You  have  Sabbath-school  instructions, 
and  kind  teachers  and  friends,  and  you 
must  choose  good  companions;  for  this 
same  wise  king  tell  us :  "  He  that  walketh 
with  wise  men  shall  be  wise;  but  the 
companion  of  fools  shall  be  destroyed." 

Then  we  have  the  promise  of'  God, 
"Those   who   seek   me   early,  shall   find 


HEAVENLY  WISDOM.  211 

me ;  -  but  of  "  those  who  hate  knowledge 
and  do  not  desire  instruction,"  Gk>d  says, 
"I  will  laugh  when  their  fear  conieth;" 
for  when  it  is  too  late,  they  will  call,  but 
He  "  will  not  answer ;  they  will  seek 
Him,  but  shall  not  find." 

These  minds  which  Grod  created  are 
not  given  merely  for  our  own  pleasure, 
but  that  we  should  improve  our  powers 
and  seek  to  become  wise.  Not  alone  for 
our  comfort  in  this  life,  for  here  we  only 
begin  to  learn,  and  there  is  much  which 
the  greatest  minds  can  not  understand; 
but  there  is  another  world  where  we 
shall  know  and  see  all  that  is  dark  to  us 
here.  There,  we  shall  go  on  learning,  and 
be  taught  by  the  prophets  and  saints  and 
angels  who  have  so  long  been  learning 
new  and  glorious  things  from  Jesus  and 
from  God  Himself. 

Let  us,  then,  improve  every  opportu- 
nity which  can  help  us  to  learn,  and  store 
these  minds  with  useful  knowledge,  not 
forgetting  to  teach  others  when  we  can 
by  our  words,  but    always   by  our   ex 


212  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

ample.  Let  us  do  all  we  can  to  make 
others  'Wise  unto  salvation,"  remember- 
ing that  "  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as 
the  sun,  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness,  as  the  stars  forever  and 
ever." 


ONE    H  0  V  R    A    WEEK 


page  213. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

"be  not  slothful  in  business." 

"  Well,  that  is  a  queer  motto  for  this 
week,"  some  child  will  say ;  "  what  busi 
ness  have  children  to  do  V  They  have  a 
great  deal  to  accomplish.  The  ravens 
who  fed  Elijah  were  working  for  God; 
and  if  birds  can  work  for  Him,  certainly 
boys  and  girls  have  something  to  do. 

In  the  first  place,  they  must  try  to  be 
Christians;  watch  their  hearts  and  see 
how  full  of  wickedness  they  are,  and  ask 
God,  for  Christ's  sake,  to  forgive  their 
sins.  Then  it  is  their  work  to  try  and 
keep  the  Commandments  of  God,  live  in 
love  and  peace,  and  study  all  they  can  to 
learn  His  will  and  become  wise. 

Is  not  all  that  enough  to  make  children 


214  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

busy?  If  ever  we  learn  to  be  indus- 
trious, it  must  be  in  childhood.  Suppose 
a  farmer  in  the  spring  should  say :  "  This 
is  such  pleasant  weather,  I  will  sit  down 
on  the  grass  and  enjoy  the  warm  sun- 
shine, and  hear  the  birds  sing.  Summer 
will  be  time  enough  for  me  to  work."  So 
while  his  neighbors  ploughed  the  ground, 
and  sowed  the  seed,  he  would  fold  his 
arms  and  do  nothing.  Soon  their  grain 
would  come  up,  and  they  would  carefully 
watch  every  field  as  it  grew  greener  and 
the  stalks  higher.  Then  summer  would 
come,  and  they  would  have  broad  fields 
of  waving  grain,  ripe  and  ready  to  cut, 
while  the  easy-do-nothing  farmer  would 
sigh  that  he  had  a  large  crop  of  weeds, 
and  a  few  poor,  miserable  patches  of  lone- 
ly corn-stalks,  which  accidentally  came 
up  without  any  of  his  labor. 

The  wise  Solomon  tells  us,  he  went 
"  by  the  field  of  the  slothful  and  the  vine- 
yard of  the  man  void  of  understanding. 
It  was  all  grown  over  with  thorns,  and  in 
place  of  fruit  were  nettles,  and  the  stone 


THE  SLUGGARD.  215 

wall  around  it  broken  down."  Where 
was  the  owner  of  the  field?  He  was 
lying  down  in  idleness,  his  hands  hang- 
ing at  his  side,  his  eyes  stupid  and  dull, 
saying :  "A  little  more  sleep  and  a  little 
more  slumber." 

Again,  he  tells  the  sluggard  to  go  to 
the  ant  and  watch  her  doings.  The  little 
creatures,  so  tiny  that  your  foot  might 
crash  a  hundred  of  them,  have  no  mind 
and  no  ruler  to  teach  them  what  to  do. 
But  did  you  ever  see  them,  in  the  warm 
sunny  spots,  come  out  and  search  for 
little  grains  of  food,  and  then  carry  them 
carefully  away  to  store  them  until  the 
dark  winter?  Well  may  he  tell  us  to 
"  consider  her  ways  and  be  wise." 

Thus  should  we  eagerly  search  and  find 
the  precious  grains  of  wisdom,  and  safely 
place  them  in  the  store-house  of  the 
mind,  now  in  the  spring-time  of  youth. 
Above  all,  industriously  commit  to  mem- 
ory precious  verses  from  the  Bible;  for 
they  will  cheer  and  comfort  in  sorrow  and 
in  age ;  and  in  many  a  dark  hour  when 


216  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

memory  brings  them  back,  you  will  re- 
joice that  you  possess  such  treasures. 

Time  is  not  given  to  us  to  spend  it  all 
in  mere  pleasure.  Every  day  brings  us 
nearer  to  that  time  when  our  bodies  must 
be  laid  to  rest.  That  day  is  wasted  in 
which  you  do  not  learn  something  that 
will  help  to  make  you  wise,  or  do  some 
deed  of  kindness,  or  by  precept  or* ex- 
ample help  to  make  some  one  better. 

"We  can  not  live  in  this  world  without 
either  doing  good  or  doing  evil  to  those 
around  us.  The  farmer  who  would  not 
plant  his  field,  did  harm  to  others,  for 
he  let  the  weeds  grow,  and  they  went  to 
seed,  and  the  wind  carried  the  seeds  far 
and  wide,  and  they  sprouted  again  to 
hurt  other  fields  around  them. 

A  child  who  does  not  do  good  will  do 
great  harm,  if  only  by  neglecting  good 
things.  But  one  who  is  wise  and  obedi- 
ent, kind  and  loving,  even  if  he  never 
tries  to  persuade  others  to  be  like  him,  is 
working  for  God,  for  his  example  will  be 


EXAMPLE.  217 

a  bright  and  shining  light  to  show  others 
the  path  of  wisdom.     So  we  see  that  a 
wise  child  is  "not  slothful  in   business, 
but  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord." 
19 


CHAPTER  XL VI. 

"  CASTING  ALL  YOUR  CARE  UPON  THE  LORD  —  FOR  HE 
CARETH  FOR  YOU." 

Theee  are  some  little  children  whose 
parents  are  poor  and  can  not  have  many 
comforts  in  their  home.  Sometimes, 
through  misfortune  and  poverty,  they 
hardly  know  where  to  find  bread  to  feed 
their  hungry  children.  But  our  Mnd 
heavenly  Father  tells  us  He  hears  the 
young  ravens  when  they  cry,  and  sends 
them  food :  then  will  He  not  surely  send 
supplies  for  the  wants  of  His  dear  child- 
ren %  He  does  not  promise  to  take  care 
of  the  careless  and  idle;  for  He  tells  us 
to  them  poverty  shall  come  "  as  an  armed 
man." 

But  if  we  do  our  dutv,  Pie  will  not  let 


TRUST.  219 

us  suffer.  We  must  love  Him  and  keep 
His  Commandments,  and  after  we  have 
done  all  we  can,  trust  in  Him,  and  He 
will  take  care  of  us.  Jesus  told  His  dis- 
ciples that  "  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the 
ground  without  our  Father's  notice." 
And  then  He  asks :  "Are  ye  not  of  more 
value  than  many  sparrows  1"  In  order  to 
follow  Him,  they  had  given  up  the  busi- 
ness by  which  they  made  their  support ; 
and  they  were  poor,  and  as  they  wander- 
ed about,  were  often  hungry  and  needed 
clothing;  and  thus  He  taught  them  to 
trust  in  God. 

But  it  is  not  only  by  sending  poverty, 
that  He  afflicts  His  children ;  for  in  this 
world  there  is  much  pain  and  suffering 
and  sorrow.  How  many  persons  are  sick 
or  lame,  and  have  to  spend  months,  or 
even  years,  lying  upon  a  bed !  How  many 
are  blind,  and  can  not  see  the  beautiful 
world  around  them !  How  many  are  deaf, 
and  never  hear  the  voice  of  love ! 

We  do  not  know  why  the  wise  God 
sends   so   much   of  pain;  but   we   need 


220  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

some  hard  lessons  to  teach  us  to  trust  in 
Him.  If  we  never  had  any  sorrow,  we 
should  forget  the  precious  words  :  "  Cast 
thy  burden  upon  the  Lord,  for  He  will 
sustain  thee."  Whatever  is  our  sorrow, 
pain,  distress,  temptation,  sin,  or  bereave- 
ment, Jesus  knows  every  throb  of  pain 
our  poor  hearts  are  called  to  suffer. 

Then  we  should,  as  dear  children,  cast 
our  cares  and  sorrows  upon  His  bosom, 
and  looking  up  to  our  heavenly  Father, 
trust  in  Him,  for  He  knows  what  is  best 
for  us.  If  He  was  a  cold,  stern  Father 
whom  we  feared,  then  we  might  be 
anxious  and  troubled  for  the  future ;  but 
we  know  that  He  loves  us,  and  will  do 
what  is  best,  though  our  sorrows  some- 
times seem  hard  to  bear. 

There  are  many  dear  children  who 
have  seen  their  father  or  mother  grow 
sick,  and  day  after  day  become  weaker. 
At  last  a  day  came  when  the  family  of 
little  ones  were  gathered  around  the  bed, 
and  the  feeble  voice  bade  them  all  fare- 
well, and  while  the  mourning  ones  sob- 


COMFORT.  (  221 

bed  and  cried  aloud,  the  dear  hands  were 
quietly  folded,  the  lips  closed,  the  eyes, 
looking  heavenward,  became  glassy  and 
still — the  last  breath  came  faintly — and 
then  all  was  over.  The  beloved  one  was 
dead,  and  in  that  solemn  room  stood  a 
band  of  desolate  orphans. 

Oh !  how  your  heart  ached  when  you 
kissed  that  icy  forehead !  when  you  stood 
by  the  coffin,  and  whispered  your  mother's 
name  !  But  she  could  not  hear  when  you 
touched  those  hands  now  crossed  over  the 
heart  that  was  full  of  love  for  you — those 
ever-busy  hands  that  never  before  rested 
from  works  of  goodness  and  love.  Oh ! 
when  you  stood  by  and  saw  that  dear 
body  laid  in  the  grave,  it  was  hard  to 
feel  that  it  was  in  wisdom  and  love  God 
laid  His  hand  so  heavily  on  your  young 
heart.  And  when  you  think  of  that 
dear  one,  how  the  tears  will  come  that 
she  is  gone  forever  from  your  home ! 
Jesus  wept  just  such  tears  at  the  grave 
of  one  He  loved.  You  may  weep  and 
mourn ;  but  remember  that  to  comfort  us 
19* 


222  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

in  trials  like  this,  He  has  taught  us  to 
trust  in  Hirn  at  all  times ;  for  "  like  as  a 
father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord 
pitieth  them  that  fear  Him." 


CHAPTER  XL VII. 

"ye  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  MORROW  — FOR 

WHAT    IS    LIFE?" 

If  we  should  ask  a  company  of  bright 
children  this  question,  they  would  answer : 
"  Oh !  life  is  a  very  happy  thing."  And 
so  it  is,  to  live  in  this  pleasant  world, 
every  thing  around  us  full  of  beauty,  to 
have  pleasant  homes  and  health,  is  a 
joyous  and  delightful  thing.  God  means 
us  to  enjoy  this  life,  remembering  that 
"  every  good  and  perfect  gift  comes  from 
above." 

But  the  Scriptures  tell  us  that  "  Life  is 
but  a  vapor  that  appeareth  for  a  time, 
and  then  vanisheth  away ;"  that  it  is  "  as 
the  shadow  that  declineth."  As  we  look 
at  an  aged  man,  his  face  that  was  once 


224  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

rosy  and  fair,  written  all  over  with  fine 
wrinkles,  Ms  hair  silver  white,  his  stoop- 
ing form  leaning  for  support,  we  are  apt 
to  think :  "  How  long  his  life  must  have 
been !" 

More  than  three  thousand  years  ago, 
just  such  an  old  man  as  this  was  sent  for 
by  the  king  of  Egypt.  As  he  sat  on 
his  mighty  throne,  the  old  man  was  led  in 
before  him.  The  stooping  frame,  and 
look  of  age  and  care,  made  the  king 
wonder,  and  he  said :  "  How  old  art 
thou  V  Now,  listen  to  the  answer  of  the 
old  man :  "  The  years  of  my  pilgrimage 
are  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  —  few 
and  evil  have  the  days  of  the  years  of 
my  life  been."  It  seemed  to  him,  that  his 
days  had  been  few ;  to  us,  how  many ! 

But  when  we  think  of  God ;  that  He 
has  existed  and  will  exist  forever,  our 
lives  are  "as  a  tale  that  is  told;"  and 
to  that  God  who  says,  "A  thousand 
years  are  as  one  day,"  our  life  is  as  the 
shadow  made  by  the  evening  sun.  When 
we  think  of  life  as  compared  with  eter- 


LIFE  A  JOURNEY.  225 

nity,  it  is  indeed  as  a  vapor  which  in  the 
morning  rises  from  the  dewy  ground,  bnt 
the  sun  shines  on  it,  and  it  quickly 
vanishes   away. 

Then  what  can  we  accomplish?  and 
why  are  we  here  if  time  is  so  fleeting? 
Because  every  day  is  a  step  toward  the 
great  and  wide  eternity,  The  good  King 
David  made  this  his  prayer :  "  Show  me 
the  path  of  life."  "Well  may  we  pray 
that  God  would  guide  our  wandering 
steps,  and  "  keep  our  feet  from  falling  and 
our  eyes  from  tears."  God  watches  over 
all,  and  though  He  will  show  us  the  best 
path,  if  we  seek  His  direction,  yet  there 
are  many  ways  to  reach  at  last  the  gate 
of  Death,  through  which  we  all  must 
pass. 

It  is  as  if  a  company  of  people  all 
started  together  to  travel  toward  the  set- 
ting sun,  across  a  country,  covered  with 
many  paths,  all  "branching  off  from  the 
same  starting-place,  and  apparently  going 
in  the  same  direction.  Some  would  find 
broad  and  splendid  roads,  where  on  each 


226  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

♦ 

side  were  fruits  and  flowers,  smooth  level 
ground  to  walk  upon,  and  arched  bridges 
to  carry  them  over  every  ravine.  Some 
would  hear  the  music  of  rippling  water 
and  the  rustling  of  leaves,  and  turn  off  in 
quiet  by-paths,  and  dream  away  the  hours 
of  day  until  the  fading  light  surprised 
them,  and  they  groped  in  vain  to  find  the 
true  path  they  had  left. 

But  one  company  started  with  their 
faces  toward  the  west,  in  a  strait  and  nar- 
row path.  Sometimes  they  climbed  rug- 
ged hills,  and  sometimes  went  down  in 
deep  valleys;  but  even  there  the  light 
shone  on  them,  for  they  followed  the  sun 
in  its  course.  Though  sometimes  worn 
and  weary,  they  kept  on  until  evening, 
and  then  their  faces  all  glowed  with  the 
radiant  beams  of  the  sun  setting  in  splen- 
dor. Where  were  the  other  travellers? 
Far  away  in*  various  paths,  following 
their  own  wishes,  forgetting  that  night 
would  surprise  them  with  half  the  jour- 
ney done. 


THE  SUN-LIT  JOURNEY.  227 

Let  us,  then,  seek  that  strait  and  nar- 
row way,  the  only  path  which  is  all  gild- 
ed and  made  clear  by  "  the  Sun  of  Kight- 
eousness." 


•  v   \ 


CHAPTER  XL VIII. 


WE   ALL   DO    FADE    AS    A   LEAF. 


How  delightful  it  is,  after  the  long 
winter,  when  snow  covered  the  ground 
and  the  wind  moaned  through  the  bare 
branches  of  the  trees,  to  feel  the  mild 
air  coming  back  to  the  earth,  which  is 
putting  on  its  carpet  of  green  for  spring 
to  dance  upon. 

How  the  tall  brown  trees  begin  to  be 
covered  with  little  swelling  buds,  that 
day  by  day  grow  larger,  and  then  in  the 
warm  sunshine  unfold  themselves,  and 
thousands  of  young  and  tender  leaves  in- 
vite the  birds  to  come  and  dwell  among 
them  with  songs  of  gladness.  The 
honeysuckle  ■  that  in  the  winter  nights 
rustled  against  the  house  with  a  wailing 


FALLING  LEAVES.  229 

sound,  like  the  low  cry  of  a  lonely  child, 
now  sends  out  its  young  shoots,  and  the 
curling  tendrils  twine  themselves  against 
the  window.  The  rose-bush  by  the  door 
is  clothed  anew  in  perfect  leaves,  and 
soon  the  first  buds  come  and  crown  the 
May  with  roses,  sweetening  all  the  air 
with  fragrance.  But  some  of  these  leaves 
are  nipped  by  early  frost,  and  in  a  few 
days  are  gone;  the  March  winds  drive 
many  before  them,  and  they  are  swept 
away 

One  rude  touch  may  break  off  the 
tender  rose-bud,  or  a  worm  at  its  heart 
may  turn  it  to  decay ;  or,  if  it  becomes  a 
rose,  how  soon,  on  every  scattered  leaf 
upon  the  ground,  seems  written  that  it 
bloomed  only  to  fade !  Or  if  the  green 
leaves  last  until  summer,  the  noon-day 
sun  may  scorch  and  shrivel  them  with  its 
heat,  or  the  rain  may  not  descend  to  keep 
them  fresh  and  green.  If  they  live  until 
the  fruit  has  ripened  on  the  boughs,  the 
frost-king  comes  and  touches  them  with 
his  cold  finger.  Then  how  gaudy  they 
20 


230  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

look  with  their  crimson  and  golden 
colors,  only  to  shine  nntil  the  bleak  winds 
hurry  them  all  away,  and  strew  them  on 
the  ground,  to  remind  us  that  we  all  must 
fade ! 

Life,  in  childhood,  is  like  the  leaves  and 
flowers  of  spring ;  but  if  the  early  frost 
and  the  March  winds  do  not  destroy  it,  it 
may  fall  in  its  noon,  or  at  most,  if  it  hold 
out  until  autumn,  it  must  at  last  fade ; 
for  Death  must  come  to  all.  JVe  all 
know  what  Death  is,  for  there  never  lived 
a  little  child  to  be  old  enough  to  under- 
stand it,  who  has  not  lost  some  friend  or 
companion. 

In  this  busy  world  we  do  not  often 
enough  remember  that'  every  head  must 
be  laid  low  in  the  grave,  every  voice 
must  become  silent,  the  lips  that  are 
warm  with  kisses  of  love  must  become 
stiff  and  cold,  the  hand  that  writes  must 
be  laid  upon  the  silent  heart,  and  over 
the  eyes  that  read  the  frozen  eyelids  must 
be  closed  for  the  last  time.  -No  warning 
can  then  make  us  wiser  or  better;  life  will 


JESUS  DIED.  231 

have  ended,  and  in  whatever  path  we 
were  then  going,  there  will  be  the  grave. 

While  life  lasts,  the  Good  Shepherd 
beckons  us  to  join  His  flock;  while  life 
lasts,  we  hear  His  gentle  knock  at  the 
door  of  our  hearts.  Life  is  the  time  He 
has  given  us  to  prepare  for  death.  What 
misery  and  torture  and  pain  must  they 
endure  who  have  never  prepared  for  this 
hour  until  it  is  too  late !  But  if  we  have 
obeyed  all  the  heavenly  teachings  which 
our  Father  has  sent  us,  the  hour  of  death 
will  be  peaceful. 

When  we  are  in  health,  life  is  a  joyous 
thing,  and  the  grave  seems  dark  and  deso- 
late and  lonely.  But  when  sickness  and 
pain  have  wearied  the  body  until  it  is 
worn  out  by  suffering,  the  heart  will  cast 
all  its  care  on  God,  knowing  that  He 
careth  for  us,  and  will  think  of  the  grave 
as  a  quiet  bed,  where  He  will  give  us 
sweet  and  peaceful  sleep.  Our  kind 
Father  knows  all  we  have  to  suffer;  and 
did  not  His  own  Son  endure  the  most 


232  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

terrible   death,  and  His   crucified   body 
rest  in  the  grave  I 

Life  will  indeed  be  joyous,  if  we  are 
prepared  for  Death,  which  must  sooner  or 
later  come  alike  to  all.     , 


RESURRECTION. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 


We  can  see  and  understand  life,  "be- 
cause we  all  live ;  we  know  what  death 
is,  because  we  have  seen  those  we  love 
fade  away  and  die.  We  know  that  life 
was  gone,  for  they  could  not  hear  or 
speak  or  move,  and  we  have  seen  them 
laid  in  the  dark  grave.  We  can  see  no 
more,  and  we  know  that  our  turn  will 
soon  come,  and  we  must  be  laid  away  in 
that  same  silent  sleep. 

And  what  then !  Would  it  not  be  sad 
if  we  knew  no  more  than  these  bodily 
eyes  can  see  ?  We  know  the  body  will 
lie  in  the  grave  until  it  turns  to  dust; 
but  the  spirit  is  not  asleep  there.  Would 
we  not  be  lost  in  darkness  if  we  did  not 
20* 


234  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

know  what  was  to  "become  of  these  spirits, 
which  we  feel  within  ourselves  can  not 
die? 

Blessed  be  God,  there  shines  down 
from  His  bright  throne,  through  the 
Scriptures,  a  light  to  show  us  the  way. 
And  blessed  be  His  Son,  who  died  for 
our  sins  and  lay  in  the  grave,  and  rose 
again  to  show  us  how  our  bodies  will  at 
last  rise  from  the  grave.  We  know  that 
when  the  body  is  dead  and  lifeless,  it  is 
because  the  spirit  is  gone  ;  it  has  left  the 
house  of  flesh  in  which  it  lived,  and  gone 
to  that  Great  Spirit  who  sends  His  angels 
to  bear  it  in  safety  to  its  Maker. 

We  are  told  in  the  Bible,  of  a  poor 
beggar  who  was  clothed  in  rags,  and 
whose  body  was  covered  with  sores.  He 
had  no  home,  for  he  lay,  day  after  day,  at 
the  gate  of  a  certain  rich  man,  and  held 
out  his  hand  to  beg  of  the  passers-by. 
He  had  no  food,  for  he  lived  upon  the 
crumbs  that  were  thrown  to  him ;  he  had 
no  friends,  for  the  dogs  came  and  licked 
his  sores. 


THE  BURIED  SEED.  235 

One  day  he  died,  and  we  are  told  that 
angels  came  and  carried  him  to  heaven  to 
the  bosom  of  a  holy  man  who  died  many, 
many  years  before.  It  was  not  the 
wretched  body  which  the  angels  took,  for 
he  was  a  miserable  beggar,  and  his  poor 
diseased  body,  that  nobody  bnt  dogs 
wonld  tonch,  was  probably  shuffled  off 
and  laid  in  some  grave  in  the  rocks  only 
to  be  ont  of  the  way.  It  was  his  spirit, 
which  could  not  die,  that  the  angels  car- 
ried to  heaven. 

We  are  tanght  in  nature  that  these 
bodies  shall  some  time  live  again.  When 
the  plant  dies,  it  leaves  a  little  seed  which 
falls  upon  the  earth.  The  rains  come 
npon  it  and  bury  it  beneath  the  ground, 
where  it  seems  to  die;  but  there  it  re- 
mains out  of  sight,  and  •  after  the  long 
winter  is  passed,  it  bursts  from  its  shell, 
and  springs  up  and  becomes  a  new  plant. 
So  with  these  bodies  which  turn  to  dust 
in  the  grave ;  if  they  have  been  the  dwell- 
ing of  a  soul  that  loved  its  Maker,  at 


236  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

His  word  they  will  rise  again,  glorious 
and  pure,  free  from  disease  and  pain. 

After  the  body  of  Jesus  rested  three 
days  in  the  grave,  He  arose.  It  was  the 
same  body,  the  same  mild  eyes,  the  same 
benevolent  face,  the  same  gentle  voice; 
for  the  disciples  knew  him,  and  to  them 
He  showed  the  same  hands  and  feet,  bear- 
ing the  nail-prints,  and  the  wounded  side 
from  whence  the  blood  had  flowed. 

A  few  days  He  remained  with  them, 
and  then  one  morning,  as  they  stood 
afound  Him  on  a  mountain,  He  bade 
them  farewell,  and  slowly  began  to  rise 
in  mid-air  before  them.  They  watched 
as  He  rose  higher  an(J  higher,  until  bright 
and  shining  clouds  received  Him  out  of 
their  sight. 

"Were  not  thbse  clouds  bands  of  shin- 
ing angels  that  came  to  welcome  Him 
back  to  His  throne,  and  to  sing  aloud 
new  songs  of  praise  that  He  had  risen  in 
that  glorified  body,  to  show  them  the 
great  mystery  of  the  "resurrection  and 
the  life." 


CHAPTER  L. 


There  was  once  a  good  man,  who  had 
a  little  son.  As  soon  as  the  child  could 
talk,  his  mother  taught  him  to  pray. 
Night  and  morning  he  heard  his  father's 
yoice  as  he  read  the  Bible  and  prayed. 
His  parents  taught  him  of  the  Saviour, 
and  by  precept  and  example,  showed  him 
his  duties  to  God  and  to  man.  He  went 
to  the  Sabbath-school,  and  there  and  at 
home  was  faithfully  taught  in  all  good 
things. 

But  he  began  to  choose  thoughtless 
companions,  to  stay  away  from  the  house 
of  God,  to  shun  the  society  of  Christians, 
and  to  be  uncomfortable  when  the  sub- 


238  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

ject  of  religion  was  mentioned.  He  was 
never  guilty  of  any  great  crimes ;  but 
when  his  mother  would  urge  him  to  love 
the  Saviour,  he  would  impatiently  say, 
"  It  will  be  time  enough  after  a  while," 
and  would  banish  it  from  his  mind. 

Just  as  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
he  was  taken  sick.  For  many  days  he 
was  restless  with  fever ;  so  sick  he  could 
scarcely  understand  what  was  said  to 
him.  After  many  days  of  suffering  the 
fever  ceased,  but  he  was  so  weak  that  it 
was  evident  life  was  almost  gone.  His 
mother,  gently  as  she  could,  told  him 
they  feared  he  must  die,  and  begged  him 
even  then  to  cast  himself  ujpon  Jesus, 
and  pray  for  mercy.  The  conscience  that 
he  had  so  often  neglected  came  back  in 
all  its  power ;  he  remembered  the  many 
times  he  had  hushed  its  warnings ;  the 
invitations  he  had  slighted;  how  he 
had  closed  his  heart  when  the  Saviour 
knocked  and  waited.  All  came  before 
him,  and  fixing  his  eyes  on  his  mother's 
face,  he  feebly  said :  "  It  is  too  late."    In 


THE  RICH  MAX  239 

vain  the  good  minister  prayed  with  him 
and  for  him ;  he  listened  with  an  agonized 
look,  but  only  gave  the  same  reply,  and 
as  death  rested  on  his  brow,  his  lips 
moved  only  \o  say:  "It  is  too  late." 
With  despairing  hearts  his  parents  saw 
his  body  laid  in  the  earth. 

But  where  did  his  sorrowful  spirit  go  ? 
Not  to  heaven ;  for  if  when  here  he  could 
not  bear  the  society  of  Christians,  how 
could  he  dwell  forever  with  God  and  that 
Saviour  whom  he  had  slighted  ?  Where 
did  his  spirit  go? 

The  Scriptures  do  not  leave  us  in 
doubt.  There  was  a  rich  man,  at  whose 
gate  the  poor  beggar  lay — the  same  beg- 
gar whom  the  angels  carried  to  heaven. 
The  Bible  does  not  say  this  rich  man  was 
wicked ;  but  he  evidently  cared  only  for 
the  wealth  and  joys  of  this  world,  and 
neglected  to  attend  to  religion.  He  was 
dressed  every  day  in  elegant  robes  of 
purple  and  fine  linen,  and  lived  in  a 
splendid  house,  where  feasting  and  pleas- 
ure filled  every  hour.      But  wealth  can 


240  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

not  keep  Death  from  the  door :  he  died, 
and  his  body  was  buried  in  a  splendid 
tomb,  with  all  the  pomp  and  show  that 
he  had  loved  in  life. 

But  where  was  his  spirit  ?  The  same 
page  which  tells  us  of  the  beggar  in 
heaven,  tells  us  that  the  rich  man  was  in 
hell,  in  torments,  and  though  heaven  was 
afar  off,  yet  he  could  see  the  beggar 
there.  He  cried  out,  asking  that  Lazarus 
might  come  and  bring  a  drop  of  water  on 
the  tip  of  his  finger,  for  he  was  tormented 
in  the  flames.  But  Abraham,  the  holy 
man  in  whose  bosom  he  saw  Lazarus, 
said :  "  Son,  remember  that  in  thy  life 
thou  receivedst  thy  good  things,  and 
Lazarus  evil  things:  now  he  is  comfort- 
ed, and  thou  art  tormented."  He  told 
him  also  that  between  them  was  a 
great  gulf,  over  which  none  could  pass. 

What  a  change  was  that !  Here,  the 
poor  beggar  lay  at  the  gate,  hungering 
for  the  crumbs  which  fell  from  the  rich 
man's  table ;  there,  the  rich  man  thirsted 
for  even  one  drop  of  water.     And  what 


/ 


UNDYING   CONSCIENCE.  241 

is  this  place  where  the  rich  man  went  to 
spend  his  eternity  %  His  life,  which  was 
full  of  pleasures,  must  have  seemed  like  a 
brief  hour  compared  with  the  endless 
years  which  had  then  commenced.  Con- 
science, that  in  this  world  can  be  silenced, 
will  there  become  the  worm  that  never 
dies,  ever  alive  with  its  poisonous  sting. 
Memory  will  give  back  every  evil  word 
and  thought  and  deed;  and  then  the 
knowledge  that  it  is  all  seen  and  known 
by  an  angry  God,  will  cover  with  shame 
all  those  whom  He  has  placed  in  that 
dreadful  world,  to  dwell  forever  with 
"the  wicked  and  all  who  forget  God." 

21 


, 


CHAPTER  LI. 

"  COME,  YE   BLESSED    OP  MY  FATHER,  INHERIT   THE    KINGDOM 
PREPARED    FOR   YOU." 

Johe"  the  Beloved  Disciple  lived  to  be 
very  old,  and  preached  the  Gospel  until 
the  reign  of  an  emperor  named  Domitian. 

This  Emperor  was  cruel  to  the  Christ- 
ians, and  by  his  order  the  aged  disciple 
was  put  on  board  a  ship  and  carried 
to  a  small  island.  The  wicked  Emperor 
thought  he  could  silence  the  voice  of  this, 
the  last  of  the  twelve  followers  of  Jesus 
who  founded  Christianity;  but  even  in 
exile  John  preached  to  the  people  about 
him.  But  God  can  make  even  the  wrath 
of  man  to  praise  Him  :  there,  on  that  dis- 
mal island,  he  sent  to  this  beloved  and 
faithful  servant,  visions,  such  as  human 


THE  CELESTIAL   CITY.  243 

thought  never  imagined.  Not  only  were 
they  sights  to  cheer  his  lonely  clays  and 
nights,  but  he  was  inspired  to  write  true 
descriptions,  and  these  were  no  mere 
dreams. 

It  was  on  the  Sabbath-day,'  when  it 
seemed  as  if  a  door  was  opened,  through 
which  he  could  look  into  heaven,  and  a 
voice,  like  a  trumpet,  cried :  "  Come  up 
hither.  I  will  show  thee  the  things 
which  must  be  hereafter."  Instead  of 
seeing  only  the  coast  of  the  lonely  island, 
and  the  water  dashing  and  foaming 
against  its  rugged  shore,  the  Spirit  show- 
ed him  the  Celestial  City,  with  the  throne 
of  God  in  its  midst.  The  streets  were  of 
pure  gold,  and  they  were  filled  with 
angels  in  white  and  dazzling  robes,  with 
crowns  of  gold  upon  their  heads  and 
harps  in  their  hands ;  and  they  sang : 
"  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  which  was  slain — 
Holy,  Holy  Lord  God  Almighty,  which 
was,  and  is,  and  ife  to  come." 

These  angels  were  once  dwellers  on  the 
earth,  and  had  endured  sorrow,  pain,  and 


24A  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

sin;  but  their  robes  were  washed  and 
made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb; 
and  now  they  are  ever  before  the  throne 
in  that  blessed  world,  where  there  is  no 
more  sorrow,  nor  pain,  nor  death,  and 
"  God  himself  shall  wipe  all  tears  from 
their  eyes."  There  they  shall  never 
hunger,  never  thirst  any  more,  for  there  is 
the  bread  of  life,  and  the  fountain  of 
living  waters.  ITiere,  darkness  with  its 
dreary  shadows  can  never  come,  for 
"  there  is  no  night  there  "  —  "  neither  the 
light  of  the  sun ;"  for  in  glory  that  can 
not  be  expressed,  shines  the  Sun  of 
Kighteousness  forever  and  ever. 

This  is  the  blessed  home  where  Jesus 
told  His  disciples  He  would  prepare  a 
place  for  them.  Our  weak  minds  in  this 
sad  world,  clouded  by  sin  and  sorrow, 
where  the  shadow  of  death  is  ever  fling- 
ing its  dark  wings,  can  not  form  much 
idea  of  that  glorious  home. 

Every  thing  in  this  world  is. changing; 
storms  succeed  the  sunshine,  and  a  dark 
night    comes    after    every  bright    day. 


HERE  AND   THERE.  245 

Here  we  become  weary  even  of  pleasure, 
and  toil  and  care  is  the  lot  of  all ;  there 
it  will  be  an  eternal  rest,  not  like  the 
few  hours  when  we  slumber  here,  to 
wake  only  to  be  wearied  again.  There  the 
heads  that  ached  with  weariness  here, 
will  rest  in  the  bosom  of  the  blest,  in  a 
sweet  peace  that  will  never,  never  be  dis- 
turbed. Here  we  grieve  for  the  friends 
who  have  gone  and  left  us  sad  and  lone- 
ly; there  we  shall  meet  those  we  love, 
never  again  to  bid  them  farewell.  Here 
we  seek  to  gain  wisdom,  but  we  find  some 
subjects  which  our  weak  minds  can  not 
understand,  for  "  here  we  know  in  part ;" 
but  there  we  shall  ever  go  on  learning  of 
the  wise  and  great,  and  shall  "  know  even 
as  we  are  known."  Here  we  strive  to 
overcome  sin  and  to  be  like  our  great 
Pattern,  who  was  in  the  world  but  not  of 
the  world ;  but  we  are  weak,  and  yield  to 
temptation,  and  the  Christian's  life  is  one 
changing  scene  of  sinning  and  repenting. 
In  that  blessed  place,  sin  can  not  enter, 
and  the  soul,  free  from  care  and  tempta- 
21* 


246  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

tion,  will  be  forever  "  witli  Him,  and  we 
shall  "be  like  Him." 

We  can  form  but  a  faint  idea  of  the 
glories  of  heaven,  for  after  we  have  tried 
to  picture  its  perfect  bliss,  we  remember 
the  Bible  says  :  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor 
ear  heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the 
heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God  hath 
prepared  for  them  that  love  Him." 


s 


ABIDE 


CHAPTER  LII. 

"and  now,  little  children,  abide  in  him." 

We  Lave  come  to  the  last  Sabbath  of 
the  year.  We  commenced  with  that  gar- 
den of  Paradise  where  our  first  parents 
lived  in  perfect  happiness  until  they  dis- 
obeyed God.  We  now  read  of  the  second 
Paradise,  where  no  sin  can  enter;  the 
eternal  garden  of  God,  where  John  be- 
held a  pure  river  of  the  water  of  life 
flowing  from  the  midst  of  the  throne. 
There  is  the  tree  of  life,  with  its  fadeless 
leaves  and  branches  of  everlasting  fruit, 
of  which  God  says:  "To  him  that  over- 
cometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of 
life  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  Para- 
dise of  God." 

This   same   John  whom  Jesus   loved, 


24:8  ONE  HOUR  A   WEEK. 

whose  long  life  was  all  spent  in  His 
Master's  service,  thus  writes :  "And  now, 
little  children,  abide  in  Him;  that  when 
He  shall  appear,  we  may  have  confidence, 
and  not  be  ashamed  before  Him  at  His 
coming." 

In  these  chapters  we  have  seen  that  of 
ourselves  we  are  miserable  sinners;  that 
our  hearts  are  full  of  wickedness  which 
God  abhors ;  but  we  have  also  seen  with 
joy  that  there  is  a  way  by  which  we  can 
be  forgiven.  We  have  learned  how  the 
Holy  Spirit  comes  to  help  us  to  feel  our 
need  of  forgiveness ;  and  we  have  heard 
the  voice  of  the  Good  Shepherd  calling 
us  to  come  and  dwell  in  His  fold. 

Have  you  answered  the  gentle  voice 
that  sweetly  calls  you  to  come?  or 
have  you  hushed  the  whispers  of  con- 
science i  neglected  to  accept  the  sacrifice, 
and  refused  to  be  saved  by  "the  Lamb  of 
God,  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world  "  ?  Oh !  remember  that  in  those 
visions  which  John  saw,  there  were  some 
who  said  to  the  mountains   and  rocks : 


LIFE  A  SCHOOL.  249 

"  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of 
Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb." 

In  the  first  chapters  of  this  book  we 
tried  to  describe  to  you  the  love  and 
goodness  of  God,  as  shown  around  us. 
But  as  you  read  on,  we  trust  you  have 
seen  that  while  He  clothes  and  feeds  our 
bodies,  He  offers  our  souls  a  robe  of  right- 
eousness and  the  bread  and  water  of  life. 
Each  daily  blessing  is  but  the  type  of 
richer  blessings  He  has  provided  for  our 
souls. 

Suppose  you  have  a  book  written  and 
given  to  you  by  a  dear  friend.  You 
would  prize  it,  not  alone  for  its  beautiful 
binding,  or  pleasing  pictures,  or  gilded 
leaves,  though  all  these  would  be  pleasant 
tokens  of  him.  But,  more  than  all,  you 
would  love  it  because,  as  you  read  its 
pages,  the  thoughts  of  the  author  would 
become  your  own,  and  lead  your  mind  to 
become  like  his. 

Thus  the  different  scenes  and  events  of 
our  whole  lives  are  pictures  to  show  us 


250  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

the  character  of  God,  if  we  will  but  read 
the  lessons  aright.  Lest  we  should  be 
awed  by  His  greatness  and  His  power, 
and  fear  Him  as  we  see  His  holiness  and 
justice,  He  shows  that  He  is  a  tender 
Father  by  letting  us  see  Him  through  that 
only  Son  who  came  to  this  world  to  save 
us.  It  was  Jesus  who  suffered  for  us,  and 
yet  the  same*  God  who  turned  to  our  poor 
mortal  eyes  His  nature  clothed  in  human 
form,  that  we  might  better  see  and  under- 
stand Him. 

As  the  sunshine  falls  on  the  earth  with 
its  gr#en  fields  and  blooming  valleys,  its 
lakes  and  rivers,  the  bright  beams  are  re- 
flected in  a  thousand  different  colors ;  but 
it  is  the  same  sun  shining  over  all.  You 
can  see  that  glorious  sun  in  the  s"ky;  you 
can  feel  its  warmth  reaching  to  the 
ground  beneath  your  feet,  and  you  can 
see  the  effects  of  its  light  and  warmth  in 
the  fruits  and  flowers,  and  you  know  it  is 
all  from  that  same  sun  shining  on  in  its 
splendor  every  day. 

And  thus  shining  through  all,  and  in 


SUNSHINE  WITHOUT  A    CLOUD.         251 

all,  and  above  all,  is  the  great  Father, 
God,  the  Son,  and  the  Spirit.  From  His 
throne  on  high  He  watches  over  every 
little  child;  at  His  right  hand  sits  His 
blessed  Son,  holding  up  those  pierced 
hands,  ever  interceding  for  you ;  and  the 
Spirit  calls  to  you  to  be  a  loving  and 
faithful  child. 

And  now  will  you  not  heed  these  last 
words  of  an  earnest  heart,  which  would 
once  more  strive  to  give  you  a  motto,  not 
only  for  a  week,  but  for  every  day  of  life  ? 
Can  you  not  hear  the  voice  of  that  be- 
loved disciple,  who,  after  he  had  grown 
old,  and  was  almost  ready  to  go  where 
his  head  might  ever  rest  on  his  Saviour's 
bosom,  says  so  imploringly :  "And  now, 
little  children,  abide  in  Him"  ? 

Then  the  trials  and  temptations  and 
sorrows  of  life  will  be  but  as  passing 
shadows  in  a  long  summer's  day,  for  we 
shall  soon  all  meet  in  our  Father's  house, 
where  our  Elder  Brother  will  welcoi  ie  us 
to  abide  forever.     Then  how  our  hearts 


252  ONE  HOUR  A  WEEK. 

will  thrill  with  joy,  as  we  meet  those 
who  have  gone  before  us,  and  join  in 
their  songs,  as  there  is  placed  on  every 
head  an  everlasting  Ceow^  of  Life! 


* 


